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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22725625">Moments</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liyada/pseuds/Liyada'>Liyada</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, But everyone is dumb, Character Death In Dream, Crime, Cyberpunk AU, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Gen, Graphic Description of Violence in chapter 8, Heavy Angst, HoennWeek 2020, I REGRET NOTHING, Incorrect French Words, Introweek 2020, JohtoWeek 2020, Kalos Week 2020, KantoWeek 2020, Major Character Death in chapter 8, Minor Character Death, Multi, Murder, Not Beta Read, Parent-Teacher Reunion, Parody, Pokespe Amino Festival 2020, Sinnoh Week 2020, Unova Week 1 2020, Unova Week 2 2020, Valentine's Day, Villain Platinum, family headcanon, ooc sometimes?, villain AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:27:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>33,167</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22725625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liyada/pseuds/Liyada</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Some moments of our favorite Dexholders, for events like Valentine's Day or just daily life.</p><p>Currently:<br/>OS 18:</p><p>Schilly always loved the outdoors. It was joy, fun, and great memories.<br/>It was her Pokémons, too.<br/></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Black/White (Pokemon Adventures), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Platinum Berlitz/Diamond/Pearl, X/Y | Yvonne Gabena</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>81</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Presence (Laverreeshipping)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I was supposed to do nothing for Valentine's day, and then I wrote two drabbles, and then I thought it would be nice to have a place to post my silly little texts so here we go I guess-</p><p>Anyway, welcome in this drabble and short stories collection, "Moments"! Updates would be irregular so sorry in advance!</p><p>Let's start with those two Valentine's Day drabbles!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Sometimes, she is afraid everything will become as before.</p><p>     Before the fight, before the moment together, before everything.</p><p>     When this sometimes happens the pressure in her chest she had felt during a so, so long time come back, crush her, full of fear and guilt and anxiety. Her breath becomes shorter, quicker, and her eyes could only look for his presence, afraid he will vanish, afraid he will disappear again, afraid he will once again become a simple ghost close but terribly far from them.</p><p>     But when this happens, when she panics and is afraid and just can’t do it, he just take her hand in his, and she knew it embarrass him because he flush but on the other hand she feels so much relief because she can feel his presence, she can feel his warm, she can feel him. He’s here, he’s here with her, and everything is better now and yes, he’s here.</p><p>     And then he would just look at her and asks:</p><p>“Everything’s okay, Y?”</p><p>     And she will grin at him, a wild grin, because yes, everything’s okay, because he’s here, with her, and not any more behind a door when her voice and her feelings just can’t reach him.</p><p>“Yes, everything’s okay, X.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Preassure (Entourageshipping)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Diamond prepares a little surprise</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here the second Valentine's Day drabble, hope you'll enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Pearl was hardworking.</p><p>     This fact was something Dia had always known. He was like that since they were children: always working hard to reach whatever goals he wanted to, bringing people with him. Spending hours on writing new sketches, or helping Missy in whatever thing she wanted to try, or analyzing Pokémon moves to predict their next ones. Sometimes it did not work well, because Pearl was hardworking but also needed to have everything under control, and Dia stopped to count the times his childhood friend argued with their classmates, because he was taking the lead and the others did not appreciate it. Even he did have an argument with Pearl about it. Because Pearl always wanted the best, and always wanted to give to him and the others the tools to reach the summit, even if he had to pressure the ones around him. He would always put twice or thrice more pressure on himself. The pain Dia felt in his check at the end of every of their repetition was probably the best proof of it.</p><p>     Platinum was a lady.</p><p>     A lady from a rich family, which meant that she had all those obligations, studying hard, being present at every social event, representing her family and their reputation at every moment, in one word, being perfect. Being the one everybody was expecting her to be, serious and wise and elegant, to be someone of her rank. But then she still found the time to hang out with them, did not hesitate to cancel meetings or balls or representation if it meant seeing one of their Manzais, going to visit one place or another, or just to hang out with them, spending hours in their company speaking of nothing and everything at the same time. And that even when her peers did not accept it, did gave her some dark looks, did whispered about her when she was around. She ignored it, but Dia knew that it was a lot of pressure, to have the eyes of those people always watching her, always expecting her to be like they wanted her to be, to be like them.</p><p>     The pressure of reaching perfection.</p><p>     The pressure of always be perfect to someone else eyes.</p><p>     Pressure was not something Dia liked. Not at all. And sometimes, somehow, he just wanted the ones he could call girlfriend and boyfriend to have one moment, one place, when and where they would not have to feel this pressure anymore.</p><p>“Where are you bringing us, Dia?” asked Pearl, intrigued as his friend was driving them to their town with Missy.</p><p>“Are we going to some secret place?” added Platinum, star in her eyes and excitement in her voice.</p><p>“You’ll see, you’ll see” could only smile the young boy.</p><p>     They arrived at his house, the house they all three had went so many times in, but when he pushed the door, what his two closest people of his life saw was at the same time is house and not really it. The wood table was covered by a white tablecloth, and the room was full of the scent of a few simple but appetizing meals. The light did not come from the ceiling but from a multitude of candles, dispatched in the whole room. The sofa, the chairs, the ground was covered by comfy cushions. And as his two lovers blinked at the surprise he had prepared for them, he embraced them and smile:</p><p>“Happy Valentine’s Day.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Dogwalker Lack-Two in action! (Lack-Two, Whi-Two, White, Sun)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Lack-two became a dogwalker.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It all starts from a request from Copper on the Specord, then I wrote it, then I created a kind of AU based on it, with drabbles/ficlets who will pop-up randomly in Moments. So yeah, have this Dogwalker drabble-</p><p>And if you ask me, no, I regret nothing. If I regretted, I would not be writing the sequel right now-</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, uh… Can I know exactly what are you doing?” asked Whi-two with an incredulous face.</p><p>“Well, I am walking Lillipups and Herdiers. Obviously.”</p><p>     The day was beautiful, a light breeze blew on Castelia City, and the twin bun girl looked at her former classmate with disbelief. Last time she saw him, back in the Pokémon School, he announced that he had to leave for familial reason, making half of the class crying. She just assumed that as his investigation work at the school was done, he had to go somewhere else for a new mission as an Inspector of the International Police.</p><p>     She did not expect to see him again in Castelia City while she was visiting a relative. And she did especially not expect him to be walking a bunch of Lillipups and Herdiers on the quays. Several leads in his hand, a few little plastic trash bags on the right of his belt, and a pair of gloves on the other side. He had the perfect outfit of a dog walker, far away from the Inspector she had learned to know.</p><p>“Is it a part of your cover?”</p><p>“No, it’s my job.”</p><p>“But aren’t you an Inspector?”</p><p>“Lost my job.”</p><p>“You… You lost it? How?”</p><p>“Oh, you know, crisis, inflation, and social care realizing that it may be illegal to hire children.”</p><p>“So… What are you doing?”</p><p>“Walking Lillipups and Herdiers. Obviously.”</p><p>“But… How… When… Why?”</p><p>“I need to pay my bills, and there was an announcement as a dog walker in the newspaper. Plus, thanks to my relations in the police, I get to walk and train police dogs for them. Do you want to do it with me? I need to train them to catch Team Plasma Grunts.”</p><p>“Why do I feel targeted suddenly?”</p><p>     Suddenly, Lack’s Xtransceiver rang, and after a blasé look to the young girl, he picked up.</p><p>“Dogwalker Lack-Two, I listen.”</p><p>
  <em>“Lack, it’s White! How have you been, since the last time?”</em>
</p><p>“Good, and you? Did Gigi enjoy her walking from the last time? Does she need another one?”</p><p>     Whi-two blinked. The scary and emotionless Inspector had not only become a dog walker, but he was also hired by White herself for walking Pokémon Stars? What was the problem with the people she knew, always having either jobs that put them in extreme situations or jobs that did not fit them at all!</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, she enjoyed it. And I need you, but not for Gigi this time.”</em>
</p><p>“Who is the customer this time?”</p><p>
  <em>“Well, I invited two of our juniors to participate in a movie and somehow… Listen, it’s complicated to explain, can you just come here quickly please?”</em>
</p><p>“Sure, I will be at your office in one hour. Is that okay?”</p><p>
  <em>“Thank you Lack, you save me!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>oOo</p><p> </p><p>     And it is how, out of curiosity, and because her relative had decided it was the perfect time to leave the city without giving her the key for their accommodations, Whi-two ended to follow Lack-two in his job.</p><p>     White’s office at the Pokéstar Studio was not really big, but clear and light, a place when you felt good, with grass and paints and design decoration. They were sat in two comfortable chairs and, in front of them and behind a glass desk, White thanked them, her face looking terribly tired and desperate.</p><p>“Thank you so much Lack, I really need your help.”</p><p>“What is the issue?”</p><p>“One of our junior, from Alola, he wants a walk to the city, and how to say that…”</p><p>“I don’t walk human.”</p><p>“I know, believe me, I know. But…”</p><p>“You’re Lack? I really wanna walk to the city! Can you walk me nya?”</p><p>     The voice came from behind them and, as she looked at the comer, Whi-two choked and coughed. The boy was younger than them, from two or three years maybe, and looked at them with wide open and sparkling eyes, a cat-like smile on his face. And the rest of his body was covered by a catsuit, with a dark gray and white fluffy fur, and a red necklace with a bell. And for the sake of N, she did not even want to know how he could make the tail behind him move like the one of a Purrloin.</p><p>     Next to her, Lack-two reaction was way calmer, only blinking before he said:</p><p>“No. I am not going to walk that.”</p><p>“Lack, please, I really…”</p><p>“No. I’m a dog walker, not a cat walker or a furry walker. And I’m going to stop to be a dogwalker anyway. Too much shit to put in bags and put in the trash. I’m going to open an Odd Jobs business with Whi-two. Goodbye.”</p><p>     And, without a look to the two stunned girls, he properly left the room, not before sending the furry abomination in the wall before. After a moment of blank, Whi-two seemed to regain life, exclaiming with a bit of surprise:</p><p>“HEY?!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. French lesson (X, Gold, Crystal)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which X teaches some new words to his senior</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This drabble is a request from Copper and Straw from Specord, I eventually finished this thing-</p><p>I would like to say that I regret but honestly? I don't</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Tss, ce type est vraiment un enculé”</p><p>“What did you say, X?”</p><p> </p><p>            Well, it looked more like a “Chouatte di chiou chai”, because Gold’s mouth was full of chips.</p><p> </p><p>            The Kalosian McDonald the two Dexholders stopped by was, to say the less, crowded. Between families with tyrannical children, teenagers’ friends’ group who were shit talking on some of their classmate or teachers, and the group of policemen, the two of them had issues to get two sits. But they managed to do it, near a window with a beautiful view on the restaurant’s bins. And they were happily eating their fat and unhealthy junk food when X noticed a scene between a man and his girlfriend. Gold did not understand what the conversation was about with his rather poor French, but the Loner let those words going through his lips.</p><p>“Ah, nothing” answered X.</p><p>“Nothing? I did not totally get it, but what does mean enculé?” Gold frowned, trying to make the word roll on his tongue.</p><p>“Ah… Enculé… How to say that… It’s someone you say about a lovely person who is humble and gentle with everybody.”</p><p>“So it’s the kind of word I can say to Cris or Silv then?”</p><p> </p><p>            The Kalosian seemed to think during a few second, before a small and gentle smile appeared on his lips.</p><p>“Sure, sure, it is the perfect word to tell them. It is one of the advantages of the French language, when it concerns lovely words like those ones, you have a huge amount of possibilities!”</p><p>“Like what?”</p><p>“Well… You can tell them that they really have a couille dans le pâté.”</p><p>“Une… Couille dans le pâté ?”</p><p>“Yes, it’s an expression here, really popular! And if they are really lovely, you can tell them that they are a bunch of chieur, that they make you chier because they are some sac à merde.”</p><p>“What else?”</p><p>“Well, if you want to do something nice with them, you can always invite them to manger tes morts.”</p><p>“Tes morts?”</p><p>“Yes, it’s a specialty from East-Kalos. If you want more a specialty from the North, we will prefer nique ta mère, and from the South, you can eat delicious couillon. And I forgot the West, they have amazing tête de cul. But the best specialty is without a doubt in Lumiose City…”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“Listen here…”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>            Crystal sighed. Loudly. Since they were in Kalos to meet the new Dexholders, and since Gold spent the day with X, his behavior was everything but strange. Looking at her in a weird way, hesitating to say something before retreating. Yes, something was definitely up with him and she did not like it.</p><p>            He turned for an umpteenth time on his chair, and she could not take it anymore. She started to get out of the wild Pokémons counting she was doing and it was extremely annoying, and all of that because of Gold. But it was always Gold fault anyway.</p><p>“Can I know what are you up to?”</p><p>“You really have a couille dans le pâté.”</p><p>            The Catcher blinked, once, twice, thrice, dumbfounded. Why was he telling her that all of a sudden?</p><p>“Wh… What?”</p><p>“C’mon, you’re really an enculée.”</p><p>            Her eyes went out of her orbit, as she had issues doing the link between what he was saying to her and her brain. Was he really…?</p><p>“Is there any problem? I just want to tell you, that you are a chieur and you really make me chier! You’re a lovely sac à merde.”</p><p>            She did not know if it was the meaning of what he was saying or the obvious name agreement mistake, but she violently coughed, a natural reaction of her body while hearing all of this bullshit.</p><p>“Ah, are you sick? We can maybe eat, it would make you feel better! I heard of a bunch of Kalosian specialties, do you want to manger tes morts? Or maybe nique ta mère, apparently it’s good! Or a couillon too… And a tête de cul, I heard they look like your face!”</p><p>            Crystal's face was red, and she was shaking. Calm down, he was surely only saying that to upset her, calm down and don’t give up to his little game, clench your fist and calm down…</p><p>“Or maybe you want a baffle? I heard it’s very pleasant to have!”</p><p>            It was too much. She could not take it anymore. Her hand flew, and in a resounding CLAP, met Gold’s cheek. She did not let him the time to react before she left the room, red of anger, violently slamming the door.</p><p>            Gold touched his chest, dumbfounded before he said:</p><p>“I think I’ll need to have a word with X…”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sooo, a little French vocabulary lesson...</p><p>Avoir une couille dans le pâté: literally, to have a ball in the pâté (liver paste I think too. This one is rather soft, as it is really an existing expression we use in France to say we have a problem we haven't identified yet. For the anecdote, it comes from a region called Vendée, the original expression being "avoit une touille dans le poté" (having a wooden spoon in the cabbage), but people from Vendée have an accent, and people from other region, when they heard it, heard "avoir une couille dans le pâté", which ended becoming an expression.<br/>Enculé (ée for the feminine form): Fucker/Prick<br/>Chieur: Litteraly someone who shit a lot, often use in the sense of "a pain in the ass"<br/>Chier: to shit, also use in the sense of something painful, awful.<br/>Sac a merde: Bag of shit, kind of like "piece of garbage"<br/>Mange tes morts: Litteraly "Eat your dead", use with the meaning "Go fuck yourself"<br/>Nique ta mère: Fuck your mom<br/>Couillon: Derivate from ball, use for someone who is really really stupid like a dumbass<br/>Tête de cul: Asshead, when you don't have a good face (because you're tired or if the person who tell that don't like your face at all)<br/>Biffle: Portmanteau word between French words for Cock (bitte) and slap (giffle), the result being a cock slap.</p><p>... If someone ask you when you ever learned those words, please tell them it's X.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Blazing Begining of Odd Jobs Yorozuya no Lack-Chan! (Lack-Two, Whi-Two, Sun, Surprise Guest)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Where Sun is sent in the wall. Again.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>So yes, here the sequel of the drabble "Dogwalker Lack-Two in Action!" (Third drabble), which has been ready in my files for two weeks or maybe more and that I post only now because... Do I have to find a reason?</p><p>Anyway, this thing will really become an AU with several drabbles on it, it's just so fun to write about it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“We need a new member.”</p><p>“Hey?”</p><p>     The two former classmates and younger Dexholders of the region of Unova were in the living room slash office of a little apartment owned by Lack. Outside, on the façade of the little two-floor building, a banner with “Odd jobs Yorozuya no Lack-chan” was freshly installed, just above the one of the bar which occupied the first floor.</p><p>     Whi-two had really, really believed that when he said he was going to open an Odd Jobs business with her, it was simply a way to avoid walking the furry boy that was apparently, for the worst, her junior. But the morning of the day after, at 8 am exactly, he had rung at the door of her relative and brought her here, making her helping with all the installations for his new business. And he did the same the day after. And the day after. It has been a week now, and she had taken the habit to walk to the office on her own. Because having him ringing every morning at the same hour was kind of awkward. Seriously, how did he even get the address of her relative? She had no clue.</p><p>     Those first days of opening had not been really successful. They did get only two customers, a ferret with a wig who was looking for a bunch of magical girls, and a young girl who wanted them to delete from the realm a Diglett who grounded her every time she did not sleep. Something they had easily handle by the two of them. So Whi-two was more than surprised when she heard him saying that they needed a new member.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Didn’t you hear me? We need a third member.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“If we are only two, we will not be able to fill every request. Plus, people would think we are a couple, and that would be awkward. It would be more professional to be a trio rather than a duo.”</p><p>“If you say so… Just, one question: where do you think we can find someone who would possibly accept to be a part of… this?”</p><p>“We need someone like us, obviously. Around the same age, with our capacities. A fellow Dexholder would be perfect.”</p><p>“So I can take the job nya?”</p><p>     Whi-two hardly refrained a scream as Sun, still in his cat outfit, came from behind one of the sofas. Lack-two stood up from his chair, and, with an emotionless face, pushed his junior though the window. As the boy felt all the way to the trash can under the window, the former policeman declared with a cold and deadly look:</p><p>“I work with fellow Dexholders, not with furry. Fuck off, before I show you all the way I know to hide a corpse.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t that be illegal?” rose the young girl.</p><p>“Law doesn’t apply to furies.”</p><p>“And so, if you don’t accept this… thing, who would be our third member?”</p><p>“I have a database with all the Dexholders in, I just need to consult it…”</p><p>“What about privacy and private’s data? How did you even obtain it?”</p><p>“If they didn’t want to be in the database, they shouldn’t have got their Pokédex, it’s where all the data are coming from. Seriously, it took me only five seconds to hack mine and get all the data of the others”</p><p>“Seriously, you’re impossible…”</p><p>“Ah, I found a good match. Let me do the contact, and let’s go bringing him here.”</p><p>“No way they are going to accept.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“NO WAY THAT I LEAVE MY ROOM TO FOLLOW THOSE WEIRDOS!”</p><p>“X, they came all the way from Unova for you, and they are our senior, you should at least welcome them!”</p><p>“I told you that it was not going to work” sighed Whi-two.</p><p>     The two Unosian were in front of a closed door, a blonde girl silently apologizing to them as she desperately tried to make her friend open this bloody door.</p><p>“C’mon X, it would be fun!”</p><p>“Be fun to what, follow them in whatever they plan to do? I refuse to!”</p><p>“I don’t have time for this shit” sighed the former Inspector.</p><p>“Okay, so just let him alone and let’s go home already!” proposed Whi-two.</p><p>“No way we did all this road for nothing, just give me five seconds and it will be over.”</p><p>     The boy went to face the door, moving Y aside, and then gave a fantastical, powerful kick in the door, proof of his year of experiences on Interpol. The door could not resist, and was sent to the wall upfront. X was wrapped in his futon, still in pajamas, his eyes round of surprise. Lack-two, a smile on his face that announced nothing good slowly approached, raising his arm toward the Loner. The said Kalosian tried to stand up to run away from the menacing figure, but as soon that he put one of his feet on the floor, the Arrester sprinted, crossing the whole room in less than one second and caught him in his arms. The black-haired boy desperately tried to break free, but between a guy who shut up in his room for years and one who had been working for the police at the same time, the gap was too big, and he could simply not getaway of his holding. Instead, he just put himself in an embarrassing position, his lips too close on Lack’s one and his hand on his butt. Eventually, the Unovan just sighed like you sighed to the behavior of an agitated child, put the light body on his shoulder, like he would have done with a potato bag, and leave the room without a word, his package still struggling and screaming.</p><p>“Let’s go Whi-two, we have a plane to take.”</p><p>“Hey?! … Hey, wait, Lack-two! What are you doing?!”</p><p>     X’s pleading eyes landed on his childhood friend, silently screaming for help. Y seemed to think for a second, before she smiled genuinely to him, waving her hand to him.</p><p>“Bye X! Have fun!”</p><p>“YYYYYYYY!!!!!”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“I don’t understand why he decided to shut himself in the closet.”</p><p>“You have kidnapped an asocial boy to bring him here without his consent. You don’t let him leave the building. Of course he would shut himself in the closet.”</p><p> </p><p>     Lack-two and Whi-two were back on the living-room/office of their workplace, the twin-bun girl drinking a super dark coffee without any sugar or milk on the sofa, while the boy was waiting in front of the closet’s door. And although no sound came from it, X was currently in the closet, and had refused to come out of it for the last three hours. The Liberator sighed as she gave a look to the window. It was the sunset already, and she would soon have to leave to come back to her relative place. But after the kidnapping, because there was no other word for that, that occurred later, she did not trust her comrade with the black-haired boy. Wasn’t he the one who was so strict about the law before? Why did he act like that now? It was such a dilemma, stay here to try to stop him in his reckless behavior or leaving this nonsense she should never have been in to begin with?</p><p>“Tss, I hoped I would not have to do that, but I guess I don’t have a choice. Whi-two, bring me my XR!”</p><p>“Do it yourself, you are closer and I don’t want to be associate with your new stupid idea.”</p><p>“Tss”</p><p>     He got his machine, checking something before he asked for who knows how many times.</p><p>“X, would you like to work with us?”</p><p>“No way.”</p><p>“Even if I pay you?”</p><p>“No way, I said.”</p><p>“Even if I pay you in high-quality memes you never saw before?”</p><p>“Like if you could find some I don’t already know.”</p><p>“You can look at my Xtransceiver if you want to.”</p><p>“… Just a sight, I’m sure you’ll have northing worthy.”</p><p>     The closet door slightly opened, just enough to let the high-technological watch enter in. X’s hand quickly took it, scrolling the different memes on the thread, under Lack satisfied smile.</p><p>“… Ah. … Oh… Interesting… How… Seriously? … Hehe, totally got it… Aha…”</p><p>“I have more of it, but you’ll need to work for me for that.”</p><p>“… When do we start?”</p><p>     Whi-two had to resist the urge to knock her head on the wall.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Legendary Dexholders AU 1 - Giratina (Silver)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Giratina is bored and decides to have a little bit of fun.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>Let me introduce you one of my drabbles AU with this drabble today: Legendary Dexholders AU! This one is basically born of me going to far in imagining things for the Odd Jobs Lack-chan AU, but in the end the two AU are totally different. </p><p>So yeah, I hope you'll enjoy this first drabble because there is more to come!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Giratina was bored.</p><p>            Not that it was huge news. He had been bored for the last thousand years or so. Because yes, he may have caused a little bit of trouble in the past, he may have been kind of a bully if he quoted Dialga and Palkia. But seriously, was it really necessary to send him in the Distortion World? Did they just know how boring this world was? Nobody to speak with, nothing to do of his days… And after, they were all surprised when they found him playing with the rare people and Pokémons who found a way to get lost here? Okay, maybe stalking and attacking them during days and days without a break was a little bit exaggerated. Still, it was the only thing that could break his boredom.</p><p>            But it has been years since anyone came in the Distortion World, and he was bored as ever. He had the time to get a ridiculous amount of useless PhDs, thanks to the development of the Infernet and online class, to reach a master rank in paint and poetry, to catch up with all the animes which were ever produced, he could witness some of the strangest and dirtiest human phantasm, and yet he was still bored. Wasn’t there anything new to do?</p><p>            Out of boredom, he read one more time the magical shelf, well hidden in his den, where were written all the rules Arceus gave him when he banned him here. Maybe, maybe between all the rules of his prison, he would find something that will bring him something more than boredom. And then he read, read, and at a moment his eyes stopped on a line, blinked as the reasoning took place in his head, before a large, excited and terrific smile crossed his face.</p><p>
  <em>Rule 666: Giratina is in any way forbidden to leave the Distortion World in his original form.</em>
</p><p>            This cursed rule, the one that imprisoned him here so many thousand years ago, was also the one that may be the key to his freedom. Because yes, he was not allowed to leave the Distortion World. But <em>only</em> in his original form. If he chose to take another form, then he <em>could</em> leave the. This was just the perfect plan! Why did he never think of it before?</p><p>            He grinned. Now, he just had to find the form with less chance to catch Arceus' attention… What about a human?</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“I asked for something to break my boredom, but this is a little bit too much…”</p><p>            Giratina was dumb stunned. Yes, he thought that taking the place of a dead newborn would be the perfect way to get out of his boredom and to learn more about humans. But maybe, maybe he should have checked the curriculum vitae of his human family first. Because clearly, a gym leader slash head of one of the biggest terrorist organizations of the world was maybe not the best family to born in. And like if it was not enough, he managed to get kidnapped by some ice weirdo, train to become one of his minions, and stuck with a blank mask. And ugh, he was a Dragon-type for Arceus goddamn sake, there was nothing he hated more than Ice and Fairy thing, so training to become an Ice psycho minion? No, thank you very much.</p><p>            At least, he really liked this girl who had adopted him as her little brother. Because she was a way better familiar figure than Arceus, his criminal human father, or this ice psycho. For the first time for centuries, he has felt like if he had his place somewhere, just on Blue’s size, and this feeling was so warming that he felt that even the strongest Ice or the stubbornness Darkness would melt and disappear with this feeling.</p><p>            He would make sure than nothing ever happens to her.</p><p>            Which obviously made him follow her escape plans. Not that it bothered him, he would really like to escape that ice hell. He hated ice and Ice-type so much, Weavile being the only exception. Weavile was nice and gentle, a pure soul born with the wrong type, but he would cherish him anyway.</p><p>            But seriously, did Blue needed that much to take a souvenir from this place? And out of everything, did she really needed to take Ho-Oh and Lugia feathers? Did humans ever know how sensible those two were about their feathers?</p><p>He just hoped the two birds would not think she was the one who takes it from them first and try to attack or kill her, or he would have to take a more powerful form and Arceus’ wrath would be horrible to deal with.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>            This boy with golden eyes was childish, reckless, irritating, ridiculous, stupid…</p><p>            But Giratina could not help but worry about him.</p><p>            When he had first meet him at this professor lab while he was breaking into it, he just expected him to become an embarrassing anecdote he would never have to speak of. But the boy had decided to follow him in the whole region, interfering with his quest. At first, he was just a bother. Even getting both of them nearly kill in this tower. Well, technically, Giratina wouldn’t have died, but without his human body, he would not have been able to stay in this realm and he did not want to come back that soon in the Distortion World, not after everything he went through to leave it.</p><p>            But after that, the boy started to become, step by step, more likeable. They battled against and with each other. They learned to trust each other. They helped each other. He started to feel something strange inside him, something he had never feel before, something as strong that the feelings he had about Blue or Weavile, and it’s only when Gold stated that they were friends that he did get it. It was rather strange, to call him his friend, but surely not unpleasant.</p><p>            And then, the League Pokémon happened, he met the other Pokédex Holders, and they faced this ice weirdo. Even after all those years, he was still mad at him. Because firstly, he had left the Distortion World because it was a prison, and this was surely not to fall back in another one made of ice. Secondly, because a few years was nothing when you were an immortal satanic-god being, so his wrath against this old man did not really have the time to go down. Thirdly, because he was using the power of legendaries Pokémons to get what he wanted, and has a fellow legendary, even if he did have some issues with the others in the past, there was no way that he was letting him play with them.</p><p>            And finally, because Pryce injured his sister and his friends. Not only Gold but Crystal too, because after what happened in those islands, maybe he could consider her as a friend too? Anyway, he hurt all of them, and Giratina was not a forgiving god. He was going to pay.</p><p>            While looking at the altar, with the two open doors, he could not help but feel worried as he rarely had before. Because Gold was inside, alone, lost in time, lost in the kingdom of Celebi and Dialga, and the thought of this young boy dying was surprisingly unbearable for him. Was all of this his fault? If he had not left the Distortion World, if he had not decided to live as a human, maybe none of this would have happened? Maybe those humans would not have been hurt, maybe Gold would not be lost in time, maybe…</p><p>            Resigned, he let the boy with spiked brown hairs handcuffing him. He would go to jail for the crime he had committed, because even as a human, he was nothing but a criminal. How could he thought that leaving the Distortion World and living as a human would change this fact? And once he would be alone in his cell, he would take his original form, beg Dialga or Celebi or maybe the both of them to just let the boy live, and then docilely accept Arceus’ punishment. Because he was nothing but a criminal.</p><p>            Nothing but a criminal…</p><p>            Out of a sudden, while he was leaving with Green, HIS voice yelled. HE asked them to stop. HE used whatever joke his wanted poster was to disculpate him. HE… HE was back, and HE was giving him a second chance. HE was the first, the first to let him a chance for as long that he could recall, and feeling that someone for once trusted him, was willing to be his friend… He could understand now what feelings human were attributing to the word’s ‘family’ or ‘friend’, but it was none of that. This warmth in his heart, the flooding of so many emotions at once, everything behind ‘family’ or ‘friend’ were not enough for those feelings.</p><p>            Gold’s hand touched his shoulder, and his hand was warm, unlike the lonely cold of the Distortion World, unlike the biting cold of the Ice, and his voice was friendly, lightning.</p><p>“Hey, Silver! Are you okay, buddy?”</p><p>            Giratina… No, Silver watched him, and a genuine smile as he rarely had before appeared on his lips.</p><p>“Yes, Gold, I’m okay.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So uh... I know Silver doesn't know that Giovanni is a criminal or even his father in the canon, but Giratina is a legendary Pokémon so he may have see it. And in this AU, Giovanni was already leading the Team Rocket before Silver's kidnapping, but after Silver disappearance his methods go furthest than before.</p><p>This AU is supposed to be really crack but this drabble is not that crack actually? Well, Giratina would not be the only one to have this idea, and the others not necessarily having to worry about Arceus' wrath, they would have a little bit more fun as humans.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. To Be a Cousin (Yellow, Surprise Guest)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Yellow meets her cousin.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>Here I’m back with this little text! I wrote it for the Intro Week of the Pokéspe Festival on Amino, with the theme family.</p><p>This little… Drabble? OS? Stand in the same universe than my last fic, Don't Listen Others Confessions or You’ll End as Responsible than Them, but does not contain any spoil from this said work (though if you like the headcanon that is the base of this fic, I highly encourage you to go read it).</p><p>Anyway, I hope you’ll like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Yellow’s feet were happily swinging as she focused on the sketchbook on her knees, trying to draw the boy who saved her from the wild Pokémons a few weeks ago. The result was not as recognizable that she wished it would look, but she knew that it was only her first attempts and her first one without reference, so she still had an important improvement margin. With a smile, she started a new drawing on the next page, trying to draw Red’s Pikachu.</p><p>            Not that she could do something else.</p><p>            Sat next to her, her mother was regularly checking the clock of the hospital waiting room. Her aunt from Unova, a hand on her round belly, was telling Yellow’s grandparents how it was good for the whole family to be back in Sinnoh again while one of her uncles was laughing at a joke his girlfriend made. The only one still missing was her older uncle, but she knew he was not that far: they were actually only waiting for him to come with the good news.</p><p>            They were in the hospital, but it did not stress her. Sure, she was worried, because it had been already several hours since they came here, yet she was also excited. For her whole live, so nine years so fat, in all their family reunion, she had been the only child. And although the stories of her different uncles and aunt, who somehow managed to always travel and all lived in different regions, were always interesting, it was boring to not have someone to play with.</p><p>This was about to change, and she could not help but feel overly excited.</p><p>But apparently not immediately, and she had still to wait for a bit, she remembered as she finished her Pikachu’s drawing. And started one of Ratty’s. And a new one of Red, during which she started to feel sleepy.</p><p>She did not realize she fall asleep before the door suddenly opened, waking her. The sketchbook fell, and she could say that her sketch had been ruined by her saliva. Well, guess she will have to redo this one later.</p><p>She did not lose time and stood up, as her grandpa asked the newcomer:</p><p>“So, Palmer, is he…”</p><p>“Yes, he’s here” The smile on her uncle’s face was ecstatic. “My son is here!”</p><p>“I just hope he did not get the gene of the thing you’re calling hair, Palmy” Yellow’s mother joked.</p><p>“Would still be better than being a crybaby as you are, old lady!”</p><p>“I’m only five years oldest than you you moron of a brother!”</p><p>“Palmer is right through about you being an old lady!” Her younger uncle started. “Am I right, Grace?”</p><p>“Wait…”</p><p>            Yellow stopped to listen. Her mother was not going to stop arguing with her siblings anytime soon, like always. And she was not willing for them to finally move. She quietly left the waiting room, without being noticed. Even if they were in a hospital, the corridor’s walls were painted with childish fresco, full of toys and teddy bears and other baby’s stuff. She sneaked around, looking at the different doors before entering in the 606 one.</p><p>            In the bed, her aunt, Palmer’s wife, was sat in a bed, exhausted but radiant. As soon that she saw her young niece, the woman smiled:</p><p>“Ah, Yellow, you’re here! Guess Palmer and your mother still found a way to argue, didn’t they?”</p><p>“Yes, I’m not sure when they’ll come…”</p><p>“Well, they’ll only get to see him later!” Her aunt laughed as if she were speaking of two undisciplined children. “Speaking of that, I guess you want to see him, don’t you?”</p><p>“Sure!” Her heart was beating loudly, and she could not help but smile.</p><p>“Hey, Pearl, it’s time to say hello to your cousin Yellow!”</p><p>            Yellow came closer, and she could now see her newborn cousin. He was really small, wrapped in different layers of clothes. She was surprised to see him awake and could swear his orange eyes were staring at her. He looked tiny, his skin pale, too pale with visible veins, and he inherited the same blond hair than her and his father, according to the color of his fluff.</p><p>            She felt nervous. Like that, nearly merging with the white around him, he seemed like he would break in pieces if she dared to move.</p><p>            Yet, with a nod, her aunt invited her to come closer and asked:</p><p>“Do you want to hold him?”</p><p>“Is… Is it okay?” Yellow asked, uncertain.</p><p>“Sure! Just maintain his head…” The woman took her niece's arms and gently put them in the right position before she gave her newborn son.</p><p>            Yellow swallowed, nervous. Her cousin seemed both heavy and light in her arms. She did not know what she was supposed to do. Should she sing him a lullaby, like she used to do for the Pokémon of the forest? Should she cradle him? Should she stay immobile?</p><p>            In the end, he chose for her.</p><p>            In the position she had, her hand was closed to his. Before she realized it, he had gripped her index in his tiny hand. She blinked, surprised. He was strong! How could the grasp of such a little baby be that strong?</p><p>            He looked at her, with a peaceful look, before closing his eyes. She looked at him, then at her aunt, who only laughed, amused. Did he just fall asleep on her arms? Her throat felt tight, and she could not produce a single sound. What was she supposed to do? He was still holding her finger!</p><p>            The door of the room suddenly opened, as the rest of her family finally entered. Ah, so they have finally stopped arguing. Palmer seemed ready to say something, or more likely shouting, but his wife called to order as she showed with a slight nod the sleeping baby in Yellow’s arm. All the eyes turned on her, and she suddenly felt embarrassed being the center of attention.</p><p>            And he was still not willing to let her finger go…</p><p>            Her grandfather sighed with disappointment, “Ah, it seemed like the king of the day is already asleep…”</p><p>“What a shame, we’ll have to say hello later…” Yellow’s mother added.</p><p>“I don’t understand,” Palmer pouted. “He was still awake when I left…”</p><p>“If you hadn’t argued with your siblings again” His wife gently scolded him “it wouldn’t have happened! Yellow did not argue, and she could see her cousin awake, you see?”</p><p>“You’re so lucky, Yellow!” Her grandmother smiled while slapping the head of her husband and children. “And you’re already playing your role as a cousin! Take care of him, you are a big girl now!”</p><p>            <em>A big girl</em>. She blushed. It… felt nice, being told to be a big girl. She was not the youngest anymore. Not with Pearl, not with her other cousin from Unova who should arrive in a few months. So she will take care of them, because she was their cousin, and she was the oldest.</p><p>            The baby boy was still strongly holding her finger, but, for the first time since he was in her arm, she relaxed. Her younger uncle said that the newborn seemed to be as stubborn as his father to not let go his cousin, but she did not really listen, already humming one of her favorite lullabies.</p><p>            Yes, it felt nice being a cousin.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Pallet Association (Green, Kanto Gang)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cyberpunk AU with the Kanto Gang</p><p>In Pallet City, one of the biggest megalopolis in the world, the Pallet Association controls everything. Blue, Red, Yellow, and Green decide that it needs to change.</p><p>But Green may have forgotten to mention a few stuff to them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>Do you remember my drabble from last week for the Pokespe Amino Festival? Well, here the entry for this week! The themes this week were Kanto and Cyberpunk, so of course, I went for a Cyberpunk AU.</p><p>It was a good exercise. I never really wrote science fiction before, not even to mention cyberpunk, so leaving my comfort zone for this was so nice! I had an issue coming with something first, but after I researched more on cyberpunk on Internet, everything comes together. Although I’m not fully sure it’s a good Cyberpunk AU ahah-</p><p>I also had a lot of fun writing this from Green’s POV. He’s not one of my fav of all time character, but he is one of the Spe characters I have fewer issues and the more fun writing on. Actually, the more I write him, the more I come to like him. Strange, isn’t it?</p><p>Ah, and before you read, heavy warnings:</p><p>-This OS contains two alternative endings, one of them (the first one) including major character death</p><p>-Also Graphic Description of Violence</p><p>- And also heavy OOCness for some character. Actually, I may have totally change the personality of one or two of them.</p><p>- In general, it’s a Cyberpunk AU, so don’t expect something all happy and fluffy.</p><p>Now that it’s done, I hope you will enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>         Green inspired.</span>
</p><p> <span>Feeling the wind on his face was refreshing. Every time he flew on his Charizard and felt the air blowing on his face, he felt like all his problems from the real world disappeared for a moment. More than the battles, being able to experience all those sensations he had and would never live in his life was his favorite part of the Pokémon RGBY game.</span></p><p> <span>Pokémon RGBY. The game that would allow you to escape the stinking, stagnant atmosphere of Pallet City for a natural world. An Internet open-world game, inspired by a popular game from the last century, in virtual reality, with captors that did not only translate this game in image and sound but also in taste, smell, touch. Without a doubt the most popular game of the megalopolis.</span></p><p> <span>Green was rather good at this game. Actually, he was even considered as one of the best players, with the friends he had met inside. Red, Blue, and Yellow. He had never met them in the real-life, not when they were not only playing but also speaking of things they should not. And not only speaking. Planning, too. Preparing.</span></p><p>
  <span>“So, we all agree on the plan?” Blue asked, her playful smile contrasting with her deadly serious tone. “I hack the Pallet Association system to get proof of their crimes.”</span>
</p><p> <span>Oh yes. The Pallet Association, who had of association only the name. It was only one of the numerous multinationals that became powerful enough to get their own land, in that case, the megalopolis of Pallet City, that was fully independent, with their own laws, police, government.</span></p><p> <span>The corporation they were planning to take down tomorrow.</span></p><p>
  <span>“I use my relations to divulge all the information you get.” Green nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just after people learn the truth, I encourage them to revolt, starting from the lower-class district!” Red said with a determined and optimistic voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I organize all the logistics and operations for the revolt.” Yellow ended, visibly encouraged by Red’s positivity.</span>
</p><p> <span>Their plan was obviously more complex than that, they had spent hours and night planning this. This meeting was just the last check-in, not to determine what they were going to do, they already knew their roles by heart, but to see each other one last time before the D-Day.</span></p><p>
  <span>“If enough people rise, we can overthrow the Association and finally put an end to this system that only benefits them. But if we fail…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we fail, we are going to be judge for high treason and condemn to the capital punishment” Green ended, his face not letting out any emotion. “Are you three sure you are ready to take the risk?”</span>
</p><p> <span>He was answered by three faces full of determination, not letting a doubt on the answer.</span></p><p>
  <span>“We are sure, Green” Blue’s smile was now gone. “We have nothing to lose anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are so many people suffering because of the Association” Yellow added. “We can’t let this go on any longer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And if our actions can create a better life for everybody, than it is good to at least give a try, no?” Red concluded, his hand on Green’s shoulder. “And you, are you sure you want to do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p> <em><span>I don’t know</span></em><span>. The words did not get past his lips. Instead, he only politely said goodbye to them, pretending that it would be better to get sleep while they still could. The familiar feeling of the world crumbling around him had a bitter taste in his mouth. It was probably the last time he would ever be able to play it.</span></p><p> <span>The blue sky and forest were replaced by the grey walls of his room and the neon lights coming from the patio door. Farewell the wide Pokémon world, hello his frugal room. He gave a look to his alarm. 10 pm. Still a long way until tomorrow morning. He should rest. That was the plan, at least.</span></p><p> <span>He spent long, countless hours contemplating the cell before falling in a dreamless sleep.</span></p><p>
  <span>oOo</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, for today’s meeting…” Blaine started, “I would like to speak of some matter that came to my hear.”</span>
</p><p> <span>The meeting room, with windows giving a view of the whole city, was full for what Green was silently calling “the boring thing that comes every week”. Eight people, all with their own responsibilities, gathered for speaking and exchanging information. On the whiteboard, their leader Blaine had written “Weekly Meeting of the Pallet’s Association Gym Leader”.</span></p><p> <span>Oh yes. Maybe he should have mentioned to Red, Blue, and Yellow that if he had that much info about the Pallet Association, it was because he was part of their elite force task, the infamous Gym Leaders.</span></p><p> <em><span>Maybe.</span></em></p><p>
  <span>“As you know, following the Team Rocket helicopter incident, that saw Giovanni and Koga leaving us” Blaine continued, “nobody tried anything over us. However…”</span>
</p><p> <span>A shiver crossed Green’s spin. He had a really bad feeling out of a sudden.</span></p><p>
  <span>“For the last few weeks, someone has often hacked into our informatic system and steal valuable information. We could identify this person, and she was arrested this night by Sabrina and Lieutenant Surge.”</span>
</p><p> <span>Oh no, was he speaking of…</span></p><p>
  <span>“This person, a twenty years old girl who answers by the name of Blue, is planning to divulge some classified information to cause a revolution.”</span>
</p><p> <span>Oh F.</span></p><p>
  <span>“We know she has some accomplice, but we don’t know yet who they are, and how she met them. As we don’t know how serious this threat is and we don’t want to take any risk, I would like to mobilize the three of us to interrogate her and then go for her friends.”</span>
</p><p> <span>Interrogation… Torture then. And with the eight of them here… With the personalities some of his colleagues had, there was no guaranty she would still be alive by the end of the day.</span></p><p> <span>The rest of the team continued to speak of the arrangements, but to be honest, he had stop to listen already. Not that they will notice, he used to keep silent during those meetings. What was he supposed to do? Blue, Red, and Yellow were without a doubt the best friends he ever made. Yet the Pallet Association was almost his whole life. And now he had to choose…</span></p><p> <span>His colleagues stood up, and so he did, following them to the interrogation room. He had never enjoyed this room, not as Sabrina or Surge seemed to. Dark, without a window, and with walls covered by too many tools for the kind of tasks they were doing here.</span></p><p> <span>Blue was sat on a chair, her skin red because of the steel chains restraining her. She was not too different from her avatar inside the game. Her brown hair was maybe a bit shorter, her flashy blue and red clothes replaced by a plain red dress, but otherwise, she was the same girl he had learn to know.</span></p><p> <span>He forced himself to look at her. He had no right to deviate his eyes, not now.</span></p><p> <span>Sabrina took a whip on the wall, a small sadistic smile on her lips, before starting:</span></p><p>
  <span>“I am going to be straight… Where are your accomplices?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you speaking about?” Blue’s playful smile was the same one that he saw just the day before.</span>
</p><p> <span>The whip whistled, and a red mark appeared on her arm. Sabrina repeated the question, with Blue answering differently every time, but not giving up anything. And then it whistled once again, and more red mark, more stretch on her dress, more blood would appear. In the end, Sabrina had nearly stopped asking questions, her smiling only wider. She was a sadist at heart, after all, and torturing someone that stubborn was without a doubt enjoyable for her.</span></p><p> <span>What a crazy girl.</span></p><p> <span>Green forced himself to watch everything. It was not the first time he was seeing someone being interrogated, he had even participated to it sometimes, even if it was not his cup of tea. But this time, it was harder. He could not help but feeling miserable, powerless. Maybe… Maybe it was his fault that she was here. He should have never encouraged her on her way to revolution when she spoke of it for the first time. And now, he could do nothing for her. Let be honest, the other agents here were as trained that him. In a seven versus one fight, he would never stand a chance. The only thing he could do was to keep quiet, hoping that she will be alright at the end, even if it meant she was going to hate him.</span></p><p> <span>Out of a sudden, Lieutenant Surge muttered something to Sabrina’s ear, and she stopped, getting a few steps back to look at her work. Blue’s dress was almost useless now, tore apart by the tool. Her skin was full of marks and cuts, and there was a lot, too much blood on her pale skin. She was out of breath due to the pain, her head down. How could she be that strong to resist such a pain?</span></p><p> <span>Surge went to the wall, and Green had to bite his lips to shut himself down. The blond man was taking pincers, and who knew what he was planning to do with it. The nails? The fingers? The ears? The teeth? He knew too much how such a tool could be used.</span></p><p> <span>Blue picked this exact moment to raise her head and, for a moment, their eyes met each other. Hopefully for him, he was at the back of the group, and no one was giving him attention, otherwise, they would have noticed his eyes widening, shocked, astonished, lost.</span></p><p> <span>She knew.</span></p><p> <span>Since when? Since when did she know who he was? His brain was working way too fast. She was a hacker, of course she had probably investigated her partners before including them in her plan. Then why? Why did she accepted him when she knew he was one of the elite agents of the very same corporation she was trying to take down? Why when she probably knew how he became the youngest agent to get to this position? Why when he could have been a spy all along? When he was supposed to be a spy all along!</span></p><p> <span>He had approached them only because of his mission! He was supposed to get information on any revolutionary groups and then denounce them to his employers! So why… Why? His aversion for his work, his tendency to be touch by such naïve ideals that she seemed to have, none of it was written on his file, she could never have known that!</span></p><p> <span>Did she really based a part of her plan on the possibility for him to get on their side?!</span></p><p> <span>It was ridiculous! For all she knew, he could have been the one who betrayed her and caused her to be tortured!</span></p><p> <span>He did not feel good. He did not feel right. He was feeling the bile coming in his mouth.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Sorry guys, I have to check something,” He said, before leaving, no, running away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Green, wait!”</span>
</p><p> <span>Too late, he was already gone. Hopefully, for him, the toilets were not too far, it was practical to have them nearby after an “interrogation”. He nearly broke the door in his hurry.</span></p><p> <span>As soon as he got inside, he threw his breakfast and dinner away.</span></p><p>
  <span>oOo</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Professor, can I speak to you for a second?” Green asked through the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, come on!” The voice was warm, cheerful, far from what you would imagine from the CEO of the Pallet Association.</span>
</p><p> <span>Green entered, put his bag near a wall, and sat on the comfortable chair in front of the big office. The familiar figure smiled to him, repeating once again what he had already heard several times.</span></p><p>
  <span>“No need to be so formal, you can call me Gramps, Green” The old man looked at him affectionately. “You are my dear grandson, after all!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Gramps.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, why did you want to speak to me?”</span>
</p><p> <span>Green swallowed, fidgeting his hand. For him, the prodigy grandson of the CEO of the Pallet Association, to be nervous was something rare. Actually, no, it was something he had never felt before, not at that intensity at least. He inspired, trying to find the right words, trying to calm down a little bit.</span></p><p>
  <span>“I… I think that I’m… Not fitting for my job anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not fitting? You find it boring? You already want a promotion?” His grandpa was still smiling, not really understanding what he meant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s just… I can’t keep doing that, Gramps.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep doing what, Green?” His smile shattered as he started to frown.</span>
</p><p> <span>Green closed his eyes. For his whole life, he had always been sure of what to do. His life had always been following the tracks of his family, suiting what everyone was expecting him to be. Yet, the epic legends and the sugary speaks about his grandfather had not prepared him for what really was the Pallet Association.</span></p><p> <span>Not every people were born equal. It was something he had been told since he was born. He was supposed to be a superior being, better than anybody else. But during his missions when he had to arrest and execute some so-called rats and their families… They were human, just like him. Their eyes, wide-open, reflecting the hope to have someone save them being crush by a meaningless death, their screams as they were killing their beloved one just in front of them… He could not understand. He was a prodigy, a genius who could resolve any theoretical problems, but he could not understand why those people’s life meant less that the Pallet Association, that his grandfather, than him.</span></p><p> <span>For the best and the worst, his decision was made.</span></p><p>
  <span>“I quit working for you, Gramps.” His voice had broken at the end.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>ENDING 1</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You…” His grandfather's smile was gone now, and Green knew it was a bad sign. “You can’t do that, Green. We own everything, here. You can’t stop working for us. There is nobody but us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I can’t do it anymore. I am not you, Gramps, and I hate what we’re doing here. There is something wrong with what we are doing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…” The old man looked disappointed, but not surprised, and Green felt a bad feeling crossing his spine. “So you were really on of them after all.”</span>
</p><p> <span>Surprised and adrenaline flood his blood, and within a second, he stood up, the chair falling on the ground. He was going to ask what he meant by that when he felt a piercing pain on his right pectoral, near his heart, and a feverish fire invaded his whole body. He lowered his head and saw a piece of metal sticking out of his chest. He lost his balance, falling on the ground, only to see the cold look of his grandfather and the masked face of Jeanine, a bloody dagger on her hands.</span></p><p> <em><span>Oh.</span></em></p><p>
  <span>“When our investigation told us that you had joined the group of rebels you were supposed to spy, I didn’t believe it first,” The old man said, his voice not letting go any emotions. “I wanted to let you a chance. But it turned out that you were really a traitor, after all, weren’t you? So we’d better get rid of you before you cause us more problems.”</span>
</p><p> <span>Green’s vision was fading into black, the pain burning him. This was how it would end then. He would die like this, unable to make any difference. He would have laughed if he had still the strength, because how could he thought he could have change anything? His position as the grandson of the CEO was not changing anything, after all, he was like everybody, only a pawn for the Professor.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Farewell Green, I hope you will learn about your mistakes in your next life.”</span>
</p><p> <span>He could not even think straight anymore. He felt everything disappearing around him, all his senses stopping to work, with only the last words of his grandfather, the one who ordered his death, resonating in his ears.</span></p><p> <span>Green’s eyes shut down, for what would be his last sleep.</span></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>ENDING 2</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You…” His grandfather's smile was gone now, and Green knew it was a bad sign. “You can’t do that, Green. We own everything, here. You can’t stop working for us. There is nobody but us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I can’t do it anymore. I am not you, Gramps, and I hate what we’re doing here. There is something wrong with what we are doing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me…” The professor was looking at him, horrified. “Don’t tell me that you were with the rebel we caught!”</span>
</p><p> <span>Like always, his grandfather was clever and perfectly knew Green. This little speech had been enough for him to figure out everything.</span></p><p>
  <span>“I was, indeed” He tried his best to sound fully confident. “You know you can’t keep doing that, Gramps. Destroying other lives for the corporation and your place… It’s not worth it. It must stop. I am going to stop you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are… Are you kidding me, Green?” The professor madly laughed. “I have done everything for the Association! I have given my life for them, I gave </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>! And you ask me to stop? You ask me to stop! After everything I did! After causing the Team Rocket Helicopter incident to get rid of the traitors? After creating the Pokédex to list all the inhabitants of this city? And you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You killed hundreds if not thousands of people just to get rid of Giovanni and Koga!” Green screamed, unable to take it anymore. “And you’re using the Pokédex only to discriminate people and keeping your place! You are a criminal who caused too much harm to this city, the people here will not follow you forever!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They will follow me as long that they don’t know!” The professor was screaming too, now. “And they will never know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what if they do?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I said, they will never!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gramps, look outside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you…” He shut up as he looked at the patio door.</span>
</p><p> <span>The buildings around were covered with screens, both to broadcast ads and propaganda. But now, as well as all the other TVs and computers of the city, they were only showing the quarrels between the CEO and his grandson. Outside, Green could already hear the scream of protests. His heart resonated in his ears. He had done it. He had succeeded!</span></p><p>
  <span>“How…” the old man shivered. “Since when… Where… The bag! There is a camera in your bag, isn’t it? What? What did they saw?! Tell me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They saw everything” Out of a sudden, Blue’s voice resonated in the speakers. “They saw you confessing your crimes. It is over, Professor Oak.”</span>
</p><p> <span>It had been hard, but they had succeeded. As soon that the Lieutenant Surge was done with his part of the interrogating, Green had taken over, taking her alone so he could do “what would make her speak”. He had driven her in a hidden room only a few know off, with no camera, and with if you owned enough informational skills to take down the hardware, access to the whole city TV and computer system.</span></p><p> <span>Hopefully for him, he could have contact in emergency Yellow and Red and, quickly explaining the situation, had to get them inside the building to help heal Blue, and decide of a new plan. The two of them had not been surprised to see who he was, so he could only assume they all knew for the very beginning. Later, he would surely complain about how everyone knew but him.</span></p><p> <span>The four of them had decided of this risked plan, because if they succeed to make Professor Oak confess his crimes, then nobody would be able to stop a revolution to raise.</span></p><p> <span>And now… And now, the seeds for a change were planted and growing quickly.</span></p><p>
  <span>“How dared you!” Green could not help but stand back as his grandfather seemed to become crazy. “You… You destroy everything! You… If I am going to fail, then you are going to go down with me! Guards!”</span>
</p><p> <span>The door opened, revealing four of his colleagues. Misty, Erika, Brock, and Blaine’s weapons were all armed in their hands but, to the surprise of everyone in the room, their target was not Green.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Looked like you have out speed us with your plan, Green” Blaine started. “I never thought you would do that though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were planning to put the corporation down on our side too” Erika’s voice was strict as ever, but for the first time since Green knew her, she was smiling. “But it looks like you were planning that too, so let us help!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Professor Oak” Misty solemnly declared “For all the crimes you have committed as the CEO of the Pallet Association, including the infamous Team Rocket Helicopter Incident, you are now under arrest.”</span>
</p><p> <span>Brock handcuffed the old man, who seemed to have broken at that last plot twist. Green sighed with relief. All of this was over. It was the end of the Saffron Association.</span></p><p> <span>It was the beginning of a new era.</span></p><p> <span>The door opened once again, revealing Blue and Yellow. Red was somewhere in the street, convincing the people to raise and take down the rest of the corrupted corporation.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Looks like this is over” Blue smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is.” He slowly nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, since we can finally speak outside of a video game or a life-threatening situation…” She continued, “We can finally introduce each other properly. I am Blue, hacker, thief, and I like Pokémon RGBY and sweets. What about you.”</span>
</p><p> <span>He grinned as he answered.</span></p><p>
  <span>“I’m Green, former Gym Leader, and I like eating spicy things. Nice to meet you, Blue.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Storytelling (Johtrio)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Silver has apparently never heard a fairytale of his whole life, so Gold and Crystal decide to give him an express fairytale class. Turned out that it was a really bad idea.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>It’s Saturday already, and also the last day of the Johtoweek! The themes Johto and Fairytales were quite inspiring, though I had issue finding time to write it. Finding a plot and writing a whole text in five days with two where you can’t write is quite hard, but it’s a good challenge.</p><p>Anyway, this week’s entry is way lighter than the one of last week. No warning this time, except maybe some characters being morons.<br/>I hope you’ll enjoy this one and see you next week!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>            How did this disaster even begin?</span>
</p><p> <span>To a stranger's eyes, a war could have happened here with the state of the common room of the Pokémon Academy. The books were scattered all around the floor, some of the toys were broken, plushies were wide open, letting their cotton going outside, the wallpaper was ripped beyond repair…</span></p><p> <span>And the children were supposed to arrive in less than five minutes.</span></p><p> <span>Among the toys, Gold lied nearly unconscious, Silver was looking at her with a doubtful look, and Crystal just wanted to hit her head against the wall. Why did she agree to do this, to begin with? Not only had Gold and here miserably fail, but they had destroyed nearly everything around them!</span></p><p> <span>She heavily sighed, for maybe the hundredth time within the last two hours.</span></p><p> <span>By Arceus, this day had just been </span><em><span>awful</span></em><span>.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>oOo</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, you don’t know any fairytales?!” Gold exclaimed, shocked.</span>
</p><p> <span>Crystal had raised her hand to her mouth, dumbfounded. When she had asked her two fellow Dexholders to help her pick a fairytale for the after-nap activity with the children, and after saying for the tenth time “No Gold, Fast and Furious is NOT a fairytale and is not suitable for three and four years old children”, she had wondered why Silver had kept silent.</span></p><p> <span>But she had been expecting everything except “I don’t know any fairytale.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“How?” She asked, still shocked. “Every people listen and read fairytales when they are children!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, so fairytales are exchange essays and Pokémon fight manuals?”</span>
</p><p> <span>… Oh right, she had forgotten about that. But still…</span></p><p>
  <span>“That’s not fairytales at all!” Gold countered. “And okay with the crazy icy man but didn’t Senior Blue or even your father read you fairytales?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gold, I still can’t remember of anything before the Masked Man” The red-haired sighed, “And Blue was telling stories about the outside world, but I never heard of fairies in them.”</span>
</p><p> <span>Oh F. This was a severe case of missed childhood. Fairytales were important to the mental construction of a child, yet Silver had lived everything but a normal childhood. But to miss something as important than fairytales…</span></p><p> <span>This was unforgivable.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Okay!” Gold yelled. “Silv, we are now going to give you an “express fairytales class for guys with no childhood!” and I don’t give you the right to protest!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Gold, it’s not necessary…” Silver nervously moved on his chair. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Tell him, Crys! We don’t have much time before the children wake up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have two hours, it should be enough” Crystal answered. “Sorry Silver, but this time I agree with Gold, we need to teach you about fairytales right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Crys, no, really, there is no need for…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Glad to see you on my side, Crys!” Gold interrupted him, not giving any attention to his protests. “So, with which one should we start?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An easy one, probably… Why not Goldilocks and the Ursaring family?” She submitted, her choice made not by long thinking but by on which fairytale book cover her eyes would fall on first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sup’! Crys, read it, I’ll try to make a play of it with the toys!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two seriously stop” Silver looked awkwardly at the door but did not have the opportunity to escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Once upon a time…” Crystal started.</span>
</p><p> <em><span>Once upon a time, there was a family of two Ursarings and one Tediursa who lived together in a little cottage. There was a Daddy Ursaring, a Mummy Ursaring, and a Baby Teddiursa.</span></em></p><p> <span>Silver had taken three Teddy Ursaring plushies in his hands, which were supposed to represent the family, and tried to imitate their voices.</span></p><p> <span>He would have almost succeeded if it were not for the baby who now had the voice of an old and lonely detective from some shady mystery show.</span></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Every day they would have porridge for breakfast.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does porridge fit Teddiursa and Ursarings' diet?” Silver genuinely asked. “Their trainer should have done research before giving them porridge. And how can they in a cottage? Shouldn’t it be too small and not adapted for them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are no trainers here Silv” Gold mocked. “They’re just a family of Ursarings cooking porridge!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But do they have the capacities to do it?” The Exchanger continued to wonder, bombarding his friends. “Can they read the recipe? Get the food and the tools? Can they cook with their claws? How…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Silver…” Crystal did not know how to explain and unfortunately Gold was quicker than her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, it’s anthropomorphic Pokémons magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But magic doesn’t exist!” Silver protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here it does, now just continue to listen please”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crystal sighed at Gold’s answer. He could never be serious, could he? She continued the story.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mummy Ursaring would put the porridge on the table to cool and the bear family would go for a short walk. One fine day they set off for their walk, just as usual. But trouble was just around the corner! Coming down the path was a very naughty girl! Her name was Goldilocks.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Crystal did a pause to look at her audience like she was used to with the children. Silver was staring at her, confusion across his face, as Gold brought one of the children tables with some chairs, a tea set, and three doll’s beds. Oh, for once, it looked like he was doing things right!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy suddenly yelled:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heya, I’m Goldilocks uwu!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are not Goldilocks” Silver countered. “You are Gold.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No uwu, I’m Goldilocks and I’m a very…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gold… Gold is possessed by the spirit of Goldilocks!” Crystal interrupted her friend, discreetly kicking him in the knee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s dangerous!” Silver’s eyes were wide opened in shock and fear. “Is that what’s fairytales are doing? That is scary! We should call an exorcist!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no exorcist!” Oh by Arceus, what example were they showing to the red-haired boy?! “To get Goldilocks out, we just need to finish reading the book! That’s it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hurry up then!”</span>
</p><p> <span>At least, they had somehow gotten him involved in finishing the fairytale?</span></p><p> <em><span>Goldilocks looked through the window of the Ursaring’s cottage. Then, she opened the door and went inside. “Mmmmm”, she said, “I smell porridge!” Goldilocks could see the bowls of porridge on the kitchen table. She tasted each one in turn. The largest bowl of porridge was far too hot! The middle-sized bowl of porridge was far too sweet! The little bowl was just right! Goldilocks ate the porridge all up.</span></em></p><p> <em><span>Goldilocks then decided it was time for a rest in a comfy chair. The biggest chair was much too hard! The middle-sized chair was much too soft! The little chair was just right. Unfortunately, Goldilocks was too big and the little chair broke!</span></em></p><p> <span>Crystal suddenly yelled “Crack!”, imitating the chair breaking. Silver blinked:</span></p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it broke.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, the chair got broke by Goldilocks in the story” She explained softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m speaking of the chair Gold is sat on. And not only one, but he also broke the three of them.”</span>
</p><p> <span>She turned her head, looking behind her, and indeed, Gold did sit on the doll’s chairs and broke the three of them. Her friend, with his typical naughty smile, stared at her, </span><em><span>You are the one who came up with this Goldilocks possession story, you have to assume now, </span></em><span>his eyes seemed to tell her</span><em><span>. </span></em><span>Her throat, her eyes were suddenly dry. She…</span></p><p> <span>By all the Pokémons what monster had she created?!</span></p><p> <span>She did not have other choices than continuing the story.</span></p><p> <em><span>Goldilocks thought she would feel much better if she had a little sleep, so she went upstairs. In the bedroom, there were three comfy looking beds. The biggest bed was too hard, and the middle-sized bed was too soft, but the little bed was perfect and Goldilocks was soon fast asleep.</span></em></p><p> <span>She did not even bother to turn back when she heard three cracks, knowing that she would have to put three new doll’s beds in her grocery list next time.</span></p><p> <em><span>Just then, the Ursaring family arrived home. They were about to have a big surprise! “Somebody’s been eating out porridge!” Daddy Ursaring growled. He was very cross indeed. “My porridge is all gone!” Baby Tediursa cried. “This is not right!” Mummy Urssaring exclaimed.</span></em></p><p>
  <span>“Wait, that’s wrong!” Silver protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Goldilocks eating Baby Tediursa’s porridge is really wrong indeed” Crystal smiled. Was she finally seeing the light of the tunnel?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not that!” Was Silver still going to crush her hopes within a second?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then… what is it?” She tensed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ursaring’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> speak!” He answered as if he was telling someone stupid something obvious.</span>
</p><p> <span>… Oh, it was that. She thought they were already over that, but he was still bothered by it! Their mission to teach him fairytales would be way harder than expected.</span></p><p>
  <span>“… Silver, it’s not real, it’s just a story.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but what’s the point of using Ursarings then? They could have used humans instead!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Silver, please, just listen for now” She was so done, why did she think getting her two friends to do activities with the children was a good idea?</span>
</p><p> <em><span>The family went into the living room. “Somebody’s been sitting in our chairs!” Daddy Ursaring growled. “My chair is broken!” Baby Tediursa cried.</span></em></p><p> <em><span>They decided to check the rest of the house. Slowly and quietly, they tiptoed upstairs. When they got there, they couldn’t believe their eyes! “My goodness!” Mummy Ursaring exclaimed.</span></em></p><p> <em><span>There, fast asleep in Baby Tediursa’s bad, was Goldilocks.</span></em></p><p> <span>Gold was loudly imitating snoozing sounds, and she had to refrain herself to not kick him in the face right now.</span></p><p> <em><span>“I think we need to teach this naughty girl a lesson,” Daddy Ursaring said. So he opened his mouth as wide as he could… Puffed out his chest… Took a huge mouthful of air… And growled the loudest Ursaring growl you have ever heard!</span></em></p><p> <span>Gold did the growl for her, but failed miserably at his role, except if a hoarse croak was supposed to be the said growl.</span></p><p> <em><span>As quick as a flash, Goldilocks woke up and tan out of the cottage and up the path. And she never came back!</span></em></p><p>
  <span>“Gold, are you finally exorcised?!” Silver genuinely wondered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah pal, I’m back as my old self!” The concerned boy loudly laughed. “Hey Crys, what about starting the next tale?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Gold, it’s dangerous, you just got possessed!” Silver’s voice was full of worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Crys will kick all the spirits back in the books!” She nearly shocked. He was just attending to have fun and make her responsible of her act! This… “Cryst, let’s go!”</span>
</p><p> <span>… But could she really refuse?</span></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> <span>Okay, she clearly should have refused.</span></p><p> <span>For the second story, Cinderella, Silver did not stop asking about how the glass shoes did not broke, and if Cinderella did not have issues walking and dancing if her feet were that small.</span></p><p> <span>And Gold had broken four dolls and a toy carriage.</span></p><p> <span>The next one was the Little Red Riding Hood, and she had to stop her story when he had recognized the Bad Wolf from one of his show, Smile Pudding or something like that, and did not stop speaking of that until she forced him into listening another story.</span></p><p> <span>It did give enough time to Gold to imitate the woodcutter of the story and open some of the plushies with a scissor. When she had tried to kick him for that, he had been quick enough to avoid it, out of habit surely.</span></p><p> <span>They had to cut short the fourth one too because according to Silver, Peter Pan was one of the gloomiest stories he ever heard because children jumping into the sky to fly was nothing but suicide, and the Neverland was just the incarnation of Hell.</span></p><p> <span>And Gold had still managed to break the pirate ship the academy owned as well than one of the tables, as he used the legs as swords.</span></p><p> <span>She nearly threw him by the window at that time but was afraid that the sound would wake up the children from the nap and refrain herself.</span></p><p> <span>And now… And now…</span></p><p>
  <span>“So, what’s this one?” Silver was doubtful, and to be honest, she was feeling the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This one is Rapunzel… Let’s start?” She was hesitant but started none the less.</span>
</p><p> <span>And so she started to tell the story, not the one of the Disney movie, not the original one when she got pregnant before escaping the tower, no, a softer version of it, where a woodcutter and his wife had to give their baby to an enchantress after stealing some rampion, and how this young girl ended lock up in a dark tower in the forest.</span></p><p> <span>Maybe this one would be better. After all, Gold had not broken anything, maybe the sky was finally sending her a sign of mercy.</span></p><p>
  <span>“And so every time the enchantress would need to climb the tower” Crystal continued to tell as the tension left her shoulders, “she would say “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair, that I may climb thy golden stair</span>
  </em>
  <span>”. And so every time Rapunzel would release her braided hair, her hair so long that it reached the bottom of the tower.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s impossible” Silver immediately stated. The troubles were finally coming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is impossible, Silver?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If she’s a young girl, her hair can’t be that long!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, she never cut her hair so they grew really long” In Crystal's mind, she could not help but associate her friend with the picture of the more difficult children she had to tell stories to before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, even if she never cut her hair it can’t work, or not with a young lady!” He vehemently protested. “The tower should be if it’s a small tower, seventy feet or so. And hair grows between 0.28 and 0.79 inches a month, I know, I did the research for my hair. So if we admit that she is in the quicker end, so 0.79 inches a month, it would take what… nearly eighty-nine years for her hair to grow up of that length!”</span>
</p><p> <span>Crystal opened her mouth, hesitated, and then closed it. By Arceus, what was she supposed to answer to that! She had no idea how much hair grown in a month!</span></p><p> <span>Out of a sudden, Gold spoke, and at the moment he opened his mouth, she knew she was doomed.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry Silv, it’s just magic!” He had piled some tables and chairs and was now at the top of the room, one of the previous broken table leg still in his hand. “Watch me, I’m Rapunzel!”</span>
</p><p> <span>He jumped, which was completely stupid because first, there was nothing on the ground to break his fall, and secondly, as the main indoor playroom that was also often used as a gymnasium by the Academy, the ceiling was high, like four meters or maybe more high, and so jumping from this height was nothing but a good idea. It was not a surprise then when the boy crashed on the ground and fell nearly unconscious. Not only had he jumped and knock out himself, but the broken table leg he was still holding hold onto the yellow pastel wallpaper and as Gold felt, tearing it apart.</span></p><p> <span>All her strength abandoned Crystal’s body. How did this disaster even begin? And the children were supposed to arrive in five minutes! She would never be able to clean all this mess before they come!</span></p><p> <span>Noise came from behind the door. They were already awake and coming. She was so doomed…</span></p><p> <span>Emerald walked into the room, not surprised at all, with the group of children following him. To the young girl who asked him what happened here, he made a malicious smile that did not fool Crystal. Since when was he here? How much of this disaster had he seen?</span></p><p> <span>He sat on a corner of the room which had been spared by the Gold Disaster and stared at the young children before telling the stories of three idiots heroes who had to fight against the spirits of fairytales.</span></p><p> <span>Oh by Arceus he had seen absolutely everything. She was going to hear of it during months.</span></p><p> <span>Silver suddenly muttered at her ear:</span></p><p>
  <span>“I think this one is one of my favorite fairytales. With Hansel and Gretel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Glad you like it…” She was tired, so it took her a few seconds to realize what he did say. “Wait, Hansel and Gretel?” It was for sure not a story she did tell him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Blue used to tell me this story a lot when we were children” He shrub.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Silver… You told me you didn’t even ear fairytales of your whole life!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I just wanted to mess up a bit with you” Gold had definitely influenced him too much. “I did not expect it to go that far.”</span>
</p><p> <span>So… So… So all of this had been for… Nothing? He dared to let them ridicule themselves. He dared! He…</span></p><p> <span>Her vision became red, and anger flood her blood as she yelled:</span></p><p>
  <span>“SILVER!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I should also list my source, shouldn’t I?</p><p>So, as all the fairytales books I have at home are in French, I had to use some resources on Internet. If you want to check the links, they are both PDF coming from some school sites, that you can also find on the first page of Google if you search Name of the story + PDF, so there should not be any issues with them.</p><p>The Goldilocks story comes from <a>here</a>. I, of course, adapted it to the Pokémon world.</p><p>I also used Wikipedia, and <a>this document</a> for Rapunzel, and in general Wikipedia for the others stories.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Festival War (Hoenn Trio)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's the summer, it's time for festivals, but with the Hoenntrio and their love for bets and contests, it could only turn wrong.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>The Amino Pokéspe festival is still going on and this week was the Hoenn one, with the theme Festival! To be honest, it's not my favorite entry, I was not that inspired by the theme and ended up rushing it because I was late. Though writing from Emerald's point of view was enjoyable, and a good training considering that I will have to write more often from his perspective in the near future. </p><p>On a totally unrelated topic, I got my wisdom tooth removed last Thursday and uh it's weird- And painful when you have to go to work the next Monday to do phoning, aha-</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Em, are you sure we need the sunglasses?” Latias could not help but ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, Latias” Emerald answered. “We don’t only want to kick their ass, we want to do it with class.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand it, but the night’s falling, wouldn’t it be bothering for you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The duo was standing in the entrance of the main street, the Eon Pokémon in her human form. In the middle of summer, the time of festivals had come again, and here they were, ready to enter the arena.  Wearing their decorated yukatas, Emerald’s hair tied so it would not bother him, their sunglasses on their noses, they were ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not far from them, Ruby and Sapphire were bickering:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really think you can win this year?” the boy said playfully. “We will show you the results of our special training!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If ya’ think ya’ can compete with us, then ya’re gonna regret it!” His girlfriend answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been what… Five? Maybe six years since Emerald had met Ruby and Sapphire during his crazy adventure at the Battle Frontier? And for all those years, every time the summer will come, the two of them would drag him to some festivals so he could arbitrate their little tradition of the festival contest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What a silly idea. Each year, with the help of their fathers or their friends or their teachers or any of their acquaintances, they would stop flirting for a day to lead a war where everything was allowed. Cheating, stealing, provoking, all that mattered was winning at the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so each year they would compete to see who would win the more stand games.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so each year Emerald would arbitrate their matches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now Emerald was tired because being in the middle of those two during this festival war was from far the worst role possible. He knew all their treats now, their strategies, and he was going to use it as his advantage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This year, he would enter the arena himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This year, he would win the more stand games and have the joy to look at their astonished faces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go, Latias” He said, putting a strand behind his ear. “It’s time to play.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first stand the three of them went was the fishing one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The water tray was full of baby Barboach. The small fish was the perfect Pokémon for this kind of activity, the young ones being small enough to put a lot of them in the aquarium and light enough for children to lift it if their net did not give up first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This stand was often considered as one of the hardest of the festival. After all, the thin paper nets the owner gave to his customer were easily breakable, and, of course, you were not allowed to receive any help from your Pokémons. Here was how the stand was so profitable. Catching a Barboach was way harder than it first seemed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Sapphire was especially good at this game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emerald knew it because, over the last five years, she had won this part of the Pokémon war four times. This was probably a heritage of all the time she had spent with her father for his research, her strength control and accuracy on this fish-catching game was simply astounding. She only lost once, when she had sent the fish too far and accidentally hit the owner's face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew his main opponent, and in normal conditions, he would not stand a chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But this was the festival war, not normal conditions, and everything was allowed, unfortunately for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And three… Two… One… Start!” Wallace turned around himself as he stated the start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby, are ya’ ready for ya’ fifth defeat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got special training from my master this year, I’m not going to lose that easily Sapphire!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Water was flying everywhere, and the two lovebirds had totally forgotten about Emerald, who slipped on a puddle and fall on the ground. For his two friends, he would seem that he had lost time and so lose this game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he needed to do that so nobody will notice his little trick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yukata’s sleeves were large. Yukata’s sleeves were half-closed at the end. Yukata’s sleeves were the perfect pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Under the green tissue of his clothing, he exchanged the net the owner gave him with the one he had prepared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This plan had asked a lot of effort, but it was for one of the hardest parts of the contests, so the results were worth it. Over the years, Emerald had noticed that the paper nets were always the same plain one, which meant that the owner was always getting them from only one supplier. It had taken some time, and professor Oak would never know how he got adds for festival supplies on his computer, but in the end, he found the supplier. Unfortunately, this one did only work with professionals, so he had to make a huge order to seem credible and had still half a pallet of paper nets in his room. The other part had been spent working on his creation, with the help of the special and only Crystal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His paper net was special. Because between the two papers which composed it, he had put a high-quality capturing net.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His finances suffered from it, but in the end the faces Ruby and Sapphire would make would be worth it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fishes were flying everywhere. So this year, his two friends had chosen to compete on who would be quicker to get the Barboachs out, and who would steal them to the other faster. They did not cared for the one who fell aside, or even for their blond friend. Neither did they for the creatures who flew to the other side of the water tray, terrified by all the agitation those two were causing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time there were no Pokémons left at all, Emerald’s bowl was filled with twice more fishes than the two other Dexholders combined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Emerald!” Sapphire yelped. “How… When did ya…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you that this year, I’ll make you two shut up for good” the blond boy grinned. “And this is only the beginning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emerald left, a plastic bag full of babies Barboach on his hand, and Latias humming behind him. The two lovers behind them whispered:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He really believes that he can beat us?” Ruby growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way we’re lettin’ him do that, right?” His girlfriend answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about a truce this year?” He submitted, and she nodded in approbation. “We’re going to teach this brat a lesson he’ll never forget.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next stand was also considered as one of the hardest games. During every festival war, they always started by the hardest stands anyway, because after the competition spirits were too high to properly play those games.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed simple at first, pulling some strings to get the prize you want. Yet, the odds at this kind of stand was always falsified and this one was not an exception. Getting the biggest prize, the huge Wailord’s plushie that was bigger than Emerald’s bed, was nearly impossible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Emerald did not have the word impossible in his vocabulary. He knew what the threat with this stand was, so all was left was to prepare a plan, his wild card.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His wild card who wore the name of Latios.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, the older Eon Pokémon was not as skilled in illusion than his sister and could not pass himself for a human, but hie eyesight was excellent and he could show to Latias what he was seeing. Finding the right string and passing the information would be nothing for him. The perfect partner in the sting stand heist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emerald rose his head one last time and could catch a glimpse of the Legendary Pokémon behind some colorful Goldeen’s and Seaking’s kites. Everything was in place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Em, you should try the seventh string starting from the left, the one hides behind the box” Latias muttered to his hear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took the string and started to pull it when Ruby arrived just next to him, a smile that was nothing but genuine on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me, Emerald” The older boy spoke, raising his friend suspicions. “Don’t you find this game fun?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Emerald frowned, trying to not get too much divert from his mission.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, all this thing about pulling strings… It’s the same thing in society, right?” The black-haired was up for something. “We pull strings to arrive at our ends, giving and asking favors at the right time. Don’t you find it funny?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It… Is?” The Calmer was hesitant, feeling something was deeply wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And do you know what is even funnier?” The grin on Ruby’s face would later give him nightmares. “The owner of this stand is Lisia’s uncle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lisia… His coworker? He never spoke the blue-haired girl that much, but he knew for a fact that Ruby and her had a good relationship, and that she had become a good friend of Sapphire after all this TV game fiasco. He looked at the owner of the stand, the man who had the same hair-color than his niece, the man that was discreetly holding a pair of scissors in his hand, just near the string he was pulling…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“<em>EMERALD THE STRING</em></span>
  <span>!” Larios yelled in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even if he did hear the warning, Emerald did not have the time to react before the string was cut. The strength of the string gone, he fell on his butt, shockingly staring at Ruby, who was now pulling another string with a devilish smile. The Wailord’s plushie was moving, with too much ease to his taste, until he saw Sapphire secretly helping her boyfriend. Did those two, the two lovers who always got ridiculously competitive for this festival war, did those two just ally against him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not fair!” He could not help but proclaim because it was, indeed, not fair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I haven’t seen anything that is against the rules” the owner answered, humming as he looked to the sky. “Don’t you find the stars beautiful tonight, young boy? It means it’s time for little children like you to go to sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emerald choked. Not only was this man bribed by Ruby, but he dared to make fun of his height? If he had not to focus on this festival war and regain some points, he would have made him eat some of those fish paper kites.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Em’s not a little kid” Sapphire immediately said, putting her hand on the owner’s shoulder. “Don’t dare say that again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And he’s maybe small but this big brain of his is such troublesome when you have to fight him” Ruby added. “He’s a pain sometimes but having an opponent like him in this festival war is valuable, so don’t try to denigrate him, because by doing so you’re denigrating us too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emerald blinked. Did those two just defend him? Just after taking down his plan?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those two, sometimes…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go, Em” Sapphire was already leaving for the next stand. “It’s time for the riffle stand and we’re going to beat your butt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was only one response possible to that. Emerald smiled, understanding why they were always so into this festival war now, and jeered:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In your dream, maybe.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The riffle stand was supposed to be easy. Emerald’s specialty was basically shooting with his own gun. So no, he did not train or prepared some plan for this stand. Sure, every weapon was different, but it should not be that hard, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, he had been proved wrong, horribly wrong. After what happened earlier, he would have thought the two lovers would have calm down on him. But no, not at all. Because none of them were planning to let the other win after all, because who he thought they were, they were the three Holders who made ridiculous bets to reach their goal within an amount of days, so giving up? Never.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet, he could only stare blankly at Sapphire while the riffle stand owner gave her an Azumarill plushie. He blinked at Ruby, asking:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How? Just… How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Believe me Em” The Charmer seemed a bit uncomfortable, “You don’t want to know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well… Maybe it was better to not ask then.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>And here came the fourth, and last, trial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The one Emerald feared the most.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Takoyaki stand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Usually, Ruby and Sapphire would do an eating contest. And Emerald knew himself too well to know that he would not be able to eat a quarter of what those two would individually eat. Not his fault that his short height came along with a small stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, he thought he could compensate with the other stands, but here they were, each of them having win at one stand. This one was the only left to decide of the winner, and it had to be the one Emerald had the less chance to win.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not that he would give up. Not his style. And he had his classy sunglasses, so he could not lose. But right at this moment, his only chance was to change the trial, and quick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, guys…” For who knew him enough, you could hear his voice shattering behind the mask of confidence. “An eating contest sounds annoying… What about doing something else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No” Ruby immediately answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why should we?” Sapphire added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why should we change? Well…” the blonde tried to explain, “eating would cost a lot of money?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, I didn’t mean that” The Conqueror blinked at him. “Haven’t ya notice? The contest’s already over!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was about to ask her what she meant when the fireworks exploded into the sky. His mouth wide opened, he could only stare in shock. Each year, the fireworks would end the festival war. During all those years he had been an arbitrator, they had taken hours to come. So why were they early this year? He checked his Pokégear and no, they were not early, even a little bit late. How in earth…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you had so much fun that you forgot the time?” Ruby teased him. “That’s good!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did ya’ enjoy it? It was fun, wasn’t it?” Sapphire got closer to him as she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It… was fun, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So ya’ll join us next year!” This was not a question. “Took five years but we did it, Ruby!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We did, we did… You were a good opponent, Em. Not a lot of people would have got an even match with us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was only because you cheated!” He protested but was welcomed by two “you did too”, and though it was true and fair, he would never ever say it loudly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay!” The fireworks reflected on Sapphire’s hair as she spoke to them. “What about having stand next year and see who’ll get the more people?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby and Emerald looked at each other and, as the last fireworks were dying, exclaimed:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be the one who’ll get the more people!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For the Lisia part, the moment where Emerald says her and Sapphire became friends after a TV show is a reference to my One-Shot <a>Celebi-rities in Distress</a>, where basically Lisia and Sapphire participate to a TV show with Ruby and Emerald and team up to teach those brats a lesson.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Family Business (Platinum, Sinnoh Trio)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Because she was the heir of the Berlitz family, she will continue to develop their wealth and their power, no matter what it takes. No matter if the path she will take will be full of blood and corpse and crimes.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>I'm still participating to the Pokespe Amino Festival, and this week is the Sinnoh Week! The theme was villainy, and through I firstly wanted to write about Pearl, I finally picked Platinum and I had just so much fun doing so! Well, you may not have seen it a lot before because my only other angst fic is a multi-chap fic that only started to introduce the angst elements yet, but I love angst. Like a lot. I can devour angst fics, and don't speak of writing them, I rarely wrote that much in such a short amount of time (this OS had been write in 3 days, so really not a lot for me). I love seeing and making characters suffer so much~</p><p>And so... Yeah, this is an angst OS. Like heavy heavy angst. It includes, but not only, Graphic Description of Violence, Minor Characters Death, Mention of Weapons and Drugs, and a lot of happy themes such like those. So be careful, if you are trigger by anything related to that and to violence and death in general, please don't read it.</p><p>It's all for me, I hope you'll enjoy this OS!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Platinum was not a good person, and she knew it.</p><p>            A girl of her age should wear nice dresses and dream to be a princess or a Pokémon nurse. Should go to school babbling with their friend about some TV show or boys’ band they enjoyed. Should still have an innocent and naive look of the world.</p><p>            Not to be in the back room of a night club to negotiate a weapon sale with an assembly of gang leaders.</p><p>            To be fair, she was wearing nice dresses, coming from the best designers of the world, and she could be considered as a princess, being the older heir of one if not the wealthiest family of the whole Earth.</p><p>            But such wealth did not come without a part of darkness, and the Berlitz family was not an exception.</p><p>            She was only eleven years old, but she had been participating in some of her family business for years. Hell, even her sister, several years younger than her, had her part in this game. Two sisters, working together to pursue their family heritage, the younger at the development and production, the older at the selling part. The two together formed a perfect duo, and despite their young age, their parents were letting them manage more and more arrangements every day.</p><p>            Platinum did enjoy what she was doing. Sure, the morals of the society might consider her activities villainous, corrupting people to get what her family wanted, encouraging conflicts so they could sell weapons, drugs, informatics systems to both parts, and ordering the elimination of the most problematic elements.</p><p>And she was good at it, knowing how this kind of business was working, battling with millions and billiards with the governments or other companies, having the necessary network for her job. She knew it was dangerous, too, so she got herself the help of the best, and did herself get formations against emotional and psychological manipulation, or learned to fight, to use the multiple weapons she was selling, to kill.</p><p>            She never had to kill someone with her own hand, but she knew she could, and her allies and opponents knew it too. Even a simple order from her was enough to sign the end of some peasants.</p><p>            Some people might see her as evil. As a villainess. But for her, it was only her normal, a Tuesday. It had always been her normal, for as long as she could remember.</p><p>            Because she was the heir of the Berlitz family, she will continue to develop their wealth and their power, no matter what it takes.</p><p>            Still in the night club back room, she took the wallet full of cash, gave it to one of the guards behind her, and ordered: “Count it”. The wallet of weapon was still at her feet, waiting for the transaction. She stared at the men in front of her, and even if they are good to hide it they were nervous. She knew because when you do this kind of business you learn to read the body language, you know from slight physical expression what the people in front of you are really thinking.</p><p>            Behind her, the guard counting mumbled. This was not a good sign, and when he came and told her that the right amount of money was not here, she knew they had tried to trick her, to trick her family.</p><p>            She was not even surprised.</p><p>“So, you tried to cheat. You thought you could get the weapons for cheaper than what we negotiated.”</p><p>            This was not a question, and they knew it.</p><p>“It’s not what you think, Ms. Berlitz” One of them, a scarred man that should not even be thirty, a wolf tattoo on his neck, tried to explain. “It’s just that…”</p><p>“Oh, but it’s really what I think it is, and we all know it, right?” Her false smile was quickly replaced by a harder expression. “Guards, you know what to do.”</p><p>            She stood up, dusting her skirt in front of the astonished gang leaders. Then she took the wallet of weapons and the one of money and left by the door. The ones who dared to try betraying her, those criminals, tried to follow her, of course. Her guards, the loyal and merciless mercenaries her father had hired, retained them.</p><p>            She did not even hear the guns shooting. She was already at the exit of the nightclub, and the loud music was covering the shots. Not that she really cared, they tried to play with her, and they had lost, and in this game, the price for losing was their lives.</p><p>            Because she was the heir of the Berlitz family, she will continue to develop their wealth and their power, no matter what it takes. No matter if the path she will take will be full of blood and corpse and crimes.</p><p>            The next morning, the fire that destroyed the nightclub and killed nearly all the people partying inside was at the front page of her favorite newspaper.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>            Somehow, it how started to change when she decided to follow the tradition of her family and to go to Mount Coronet to make her family crest.</p><p>            She had been participating in her family business for four years or so now, so she thought it was the time. Platinum was proud to be from the Berlitz family, and this family crest was so much more than a simple family crest. It symbolized their power, their empire, the world. She was dreaming of this crest, imagining how it would look well on her chest or scarf, reading about the best materials and process to use for hours, sketching some designs every time she could. Never before had she wanted something that much.</p><p>            Her parents had been reluctant at first, thinking she was too young for this journey. She insisted, and at the end they could only give up. They insisted that she got to bodyguards thought. This annoyed her a lot. In every business trade she had been part of, there had always been bodyguards behind her, to keep an eye on her and to do the job when it becomes dangerous or not appropriate for a young lady. But this time, she wanted to do the journey by herself, to make this accomplishment her own only, to make it something she could proudly say “I did it all by myself, see?”.</p><p>            Her parents did not give up on this point. This was their only condition, and between that or delaying the time she would finally get her crest, the choice was quickly made.</p><p>            She insisted that she did not want any of her usual bodyguards to come, so her father hire a duo he heard of but never engaged before. A duo who was known to be among the best, but also to have morals, which in their kind of business was not a quality. But this was only a journey to the Mount Coronet, not selling a new weapon or poison or corrupting someone, so the two bodyguards accepted.</p><p>The decision made her sighed. Why did she need bodyguards? She knew how to fight, how to kill someone or trick them into death, she had learned all of this in her books and with her teachers. This journey was the perfect excuse to make use of her knowledge, no? Those bodyguards would only bother her.</p><p>It was with those thoughts that she met <em>them</em>.</p><p>            When she saw them for the first time, she thought it was a joke. Two young boys who could hardly beat a pack of Starly? This should be a jock. But as she traveled with them, she saw a different knowledge that the one she had, a new way to enjoy life, and she liked it more than she would want to admit.</p><p>Diamond and Pearl – the two of them made the world brighter, lighter, happier. With them she learned to enjoy the simple things, the one she would despise before. She learned about a world when someone outside her family and Sebastian could genuinely speak and play and laugh with her not for her family name but for her, for Platinum, the eleven-soon-twelve years old girl who craved to learn more and who still need to discovered the world. She learned to help people without expecting money or benefits in return, but the sincere smiles she got to see by doing so? She never got a better payment for something she did before.</p><p>Then the Team Galactic came, and everything became complicated. Her father disappeared, her two bodyguards turned out to be only two normal boys who wanted to be comedians, the Team Galactic threatened the whole region, and for the first time of her life, she was genuinely <em>afraid</em>. She was afraid for her family, afraid for her friends, afraid for the strangers she met on the road, and who smiled at her. The team Galactic, those people were cruel, she thought, putting lives of innocent in line as if they were only numbers, some casualties.</p><p>She decided she would stop them, no matter the price. And, of course, Pearl and Diamond followed her.</p><p>By the time she had reached Mount Coronet, she had forgotten about her first goal, and it took Diamond to remind her of it.</p><p>And by the time they are officially done with the Team Galactic and the legendary Pokémons, she could not imagine her life without the duo.</p><p>“Ms. Berlitz? Are you with us? What about the new drugs?”</p><p>“Oh… Yes? Oh, the new drugs, they…”</p><p>            She was at her first business trade since her journey, and of course Diamond and Pearl were not with her. They were too bright for that, and she realized she was somehow afraid to show them this part of her. This was her world, not them, and she promised to herself that never, never they were going to take part in it.</p><p>            And as Platinum spoke of the new drugs, the ones her sister had developed during her leave, for the first time since she started doing this years ago, she felt uncomfortable. Those drugs that were supposed to destroy all will of anyone who would take it, there was no doubt they will be used for illegal use, for prostitution or slavery or something like that.</p><p>She would not have care before, she was only the seller and was not responsible for whatever use would be done of it, but now she could not help but imagine the uses. She could not help but see the faces of her friends, of people she actually knew, of <em>Diamond and Pearl</em>, being the victims of those drugs. This single thought was giving her cold shivers and making her throat dry.</p><p>But she was only the seller, so it was okay, no?</p><p>When she came back that night, she looked at herself in the mirror, and could not bear the spectacle for more than five seconds. This night, and the next morning, she did not eat, her stomach uneased and her thoughts disparate. At some moment she felt like she was going to cry, but not a single tear was escaping her eyes.</p><p>She just wanted to stop thinking of it for five minutes, but her brain was giving her no time off.</p><p>Diamond and Pearl came at her home to show her their new routines that afternoon, and somehow it took less than ten minutes for Diamond to <em>know</em>. She said nothing, but he was too perceptive for his own good, and it did not matter because he <em>knew</em>. Was he suspicious about this part of her since the beginning? For how long had he seen the hints of her double life? But he did not say anything of the whole afternoon, and only gave her sad looks occasionally. Every time, she took her eyes away, because she just could not look at him and act like it was nothing.</p><p>When he came and gave her a cake he made especially for her, while he had still this sad glint in his eyes, she could not take it anymore and without an explanation, ran back to her room.</p><p>She should not feel like that. She was only pursuing what her family had always done, and it had been her destiny since she was born. This was her world, her reality.</p><p>Because she was the heir of the Berlitz family, she had to continue developing their wealth and their power, no matter what it took. No matter how many crimes she would commit or become, directly or indirectly, an accomplice of.</p><p>… Right?</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Then one night everything definitely changed.</p><p>The day had been normal, normal by Diamond and Pearl’s standards. There had not even been a new trade deal, a new contract sign, new nuisances to came over off. Not, the whole day had been peaceful, three friends enjoying each other presence during a sunny day. Nothing wrong in it.</p><p>Nothing wrong.</p><p>Years and years later, she would still be able to portray the scenery in her head. They had just finished eating their diner in one of her favorite restaurants, the one with an old maître d’hôtel who seemed to never age through the ages. It was summer, so even if the hour could be considered late, it was only sunset, and the orange light was dazzling. They were in Jubilife City, not too far from Sandgem Town, so the three of them had decided to walk until her home.</p><p>This was just a peaceful day with her friends. No bodyguard, no power conflicts or politics or morals to worry about, nothing.</p><p>They had left Jubilife and were on Route 202, just near one of the little brown walls, when a teenager, older and taller than them, had approached them. He was wearing casual clothes, the opening of his black sweat revealing a wolf tattoo. She blinked, the symbol somehow familiar, but she could not remember where she had seen it before. There was also a bump at the level of his belt, and she had seen it too often to not recognize it for what it was. A gun.</p><p>“Platinum Berlitz.” This was not a question.</p><p>“Yes?” she answered, hesitantly, as she felt the two boys on her side tensing. They probably felt something was wrong but did not know yet what.</p><p>“Do you recognize it?” The teen showed their tattoo, and she felt a cold shiver crossing her spine.</p><p>“… No?” Why couldn’t she remember where she had seen it before?</p><p>“My older brother had the same.” The teenager's voice was monotone, empty, dead. “Maybe you remember him? You are the one who killed him, after all.”</p><p>            Someone… she killed? A vague memory of fire came back in her mind, but she could not remember. She had caused the death of numerous people, especially before meeting Diamond and Pearl, and she could just not remember all of them. Without speaking of the ones she had <em>indirectly</em> kill.</p><p>Because she was the heir of the Berlitz family, she had walked on a path full of blood and corpse and crimes and had destroyed countless lives. But she was not at fault, not really.</p><p>… Was she?</p><p>            The teenager had taken their gun out, pointing it toward her. Her two friends had come closer to her, seemingly to protect her. The silence was heavy, sour, threatening, like if the time was suspended before the disaster to come.</p><p>            Pearl was the first one who dared to speak:</p><p>“What do you mean by kill? Missy would have never done that!”</p><p>            He was protecting her and he did not know anything and he was still protecting her and she did not know what to say because she knew she had done exactly what she was accused of.</p><p>            Diamond did not speak for once, only giving her a sad and slightly afraid look.</p><p>“She is still the one who put the Fallen Angel Nightclub in fire that night,” the teenager said, and she remembered now.</p><p>Among the ones who tried to trick her and her family some months, ago, there had been someone with a similar tattoo.</p><p>“They were meeting at the nightclub and for no reason she decided to put the whole building in fire! And now my brother is dead and she’s alive!” his voice, empty before, was now full of rage and anger. “It’s your fault if Ed died! Platinum Berlitz, you who dared to play with other people and destroyed countless lives and family, I will now punish you for your crimes!”</p><p>            After this last sentence, yelled with a frightening need of vengeance and despair, everything was quick, too quick. Diamond released Kit to stop the teenager, who pressed the trigger. The ball made a deafening sound at it left the muzzle. In the meanwhile, she felt something pushing her back and fell on the ground.</p><p>            Her breath was short. She did not understand. What was happening? What did just happen? She sat down. The first thing she noticed was the teenager, now restrained by Kit’s lick. Then Diamond’s terrified face, as he looked at her, or to be exact something just in front of her. She lowered her eyes, and for a moment her brain stopped working, not able to register what her eyes were seeing.</p><p>            Blond hair, hiding the face that was against the ground. The white and orange shirt. The hole in it. The red around it. The puddle of red liquid under, growing and growing until it reached her pink boots.</p><p>            She could not form a word, her lips, her face, her whole body shaking too much for it. The world spun around her, vomit burning her trachea. Her lids opened and closed at an incessant rhythm. her panting resonated in her ears.</p><p>            Years and years later, she could still remember the piercing, terrified, desperate scream of Diamond:</p><p>“<em>PEARL</em>!”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>            It had been a week now and Pear had not woken up.</p><p>            The ball arrived near his heart, the doctors had said. It had damaged the lung, they said, and they had to remove a part of the organ. It was a miracle he had survived, they said. But for what they knew, he could still stay in a coma for weeks, years, or even never wake up, they said.</p><p>            They said, and her brain, for the first time of her life, could not understand it. Pearl… Pearl had been injured because of her, and now, and now… The “<em>may never wake up</em>” was not leaving her thoughts.</p><p>It was… Impossible, right? He could not die because of that, right? Pearl was strong and stupidly stubborn, and he could not leave like that, he could not leave because of her, he could not become a victim of her crimes, he could not…</p><p>Since that night, Diamond had not spoken to her. The few times they had crossed each other at the hospital, he had look her with this sad and guilty and slightly, slightly accusing glint in his eyes, and every time she ended up running away, not being able to bear it.</p><p>She had taken the habit to come to visit only at night, just to avoid the Empathizer.</p><p>Diamond had told her that he knew Pearl since they were toddlers. The blond boy was one of the closest people in his life. And the consequences of her own selfish, evil actions had maybe taken him away forever.</p><p>She was a mess, she knew it. She would have been ashamed at herself before. But right now she could not care less. Her hair was full of knots, the dark rings under her eyes growing at each new sleepless night, her clothes dirty and not properly wear. She felt torn apart every second, a monster her father had name Guilt trying to devour her. Her hands had never stopped shaking since that night.</p><p>Everything was just the most horrible nightmare she ever had, and she could not wake up from it because all of this was <em>real</em>.</p><p>It was the night now, and she was once again in Pearl’s room, between the beeps and the light of the machines. He was not one to tan easily so he often looked a bit pale, but she had never seen him that livid before. His sleeping face was emotionless, far from his usual smiles or screams or protests. An oxygen mask was covering his mouth and his nose, and by all the legends of Sinnoh, she hated it so much.</p><p>She missed him, his way to yell at her and Diamond, to encourage them no matter what, his determination in everything he was doing. She missed her friend, she missed both her friends, she missed those peaceful days together and their smiles and everything.</p><p>And this situation was her fault only.</p><p>Because she was the heir of the Berlitz family… This sentence was not making sense anymore. How could her family explain everything she did? If being the heir of the Berlitz family had to cost her her dearest friend, her more treasured moments, her happiness, then she did not want it anymore.</p><p>She wished, wished that she was not who she was, a girl whose presence only promised death and despair.</p><p>She was holding Pearl’s hand in her own, and his face became blurry as she started to cry once again. And as the tears fell on the back of his hand, she could only mutter, as a broken doll:</p><p>“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You can' see it, but I'm currently laughing very hard.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Parent - Teacher Reunion (Black, White, Cheren, Bianca, Iris)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Did you ever wonder how was Black's school life? Well, welcome in this parent-teacher reunion where Cheren have some things to say about his childhood friend...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p>
<p>This text was written for Unova Week 1 last week on the Pokespe Amino, though I was late to submit it- And it took me one week to edit it and post it here because I've been busy-</p>
<p>Anyway, here we go for this little OS, featuring Black, White, Cheren, Bianca, and Iris!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Good evening, White, Bianca, Iris, Black” Cheren adjusted his glasses on his nose, already feeling heavy fatigue on his shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good evening, Cheren!” White forced a smile. “So… What are we doing here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, like the paper I gave you said…” The black-haired man put a too full file on the desk separating them, “You are here for the parent-teacher reunion of the Trainer’s School.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Someone, the director maybe, had written “Welcome to all the parents!” with flowers and confetti on the blackboard behind, and the art teacher had use this occasion as an excuse to display all the questionable paper tinsels she made the students do last year. All those decorations bothered Cheren. During the last year, he had gotten used to his classroom, and to see it decorated in such a silly way, and especially during this important reunion…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, he wondered which one of the director or the art teacher had the hardest head, so he could use them to knock the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t answer my question,” White said, Black, Bianca, and Iris smiling on her side. “Last time I check, I was not Black’s mom, same for Bianca or Iris.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“White, I’m sure that if there was a manga about Black, his parents would not even show up for a case, while the three of you would appear as Black’s closest people” Cheren was stating the obvious in front of the quartet, their eyes round. “And you three have way more influence on him that his parents ever did, so as far as I know, you are his family.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re cheating, Cheren” the producer protested, “everyone knows that in mangas, parents are only a myths nobody ever saw. So…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t care!” Iris interrupted her. “I’m not gonna let down an occasion to laugh of Black, so for this night only I’ll be your little sister! And like big brother always does stuff for their little sisters, you are going to buy me a Duraludon plushie after the reunion, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pay it yourself, you’re the one with a Champion paycheck!” Black spoke for the first time since he arrived in the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But the League only pays me with lunch vouchers for Chuck E. Cheese and now they are about to close down!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well go eat their kid meals to get your plushie! You…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When you two would be done bickering” Cheren finally stepped in because otherwise he will spend the night here and it was clearly not how he wished spending his time. “Can we come back to the main topic, the parent-teacher reunion?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, that?” Black smiled. “We don’t really need it, right Cheren? There is this rerun of the last Indigo League finale on TV tonight, and I really don’t want to miss it, so let’s go our way already, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy stood up, already preparing himself to leave, when his whole body froze, a primal instinct yelling him to not </span>
  <em>
    <span>move</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Cheren’s eyes were fixed on him, dull and dark, and he had fought against a whole criminal organization and against legendaries Pokémon, but nothing was scarier than this expression on his childhood friend face, the one that seemed to say “If you dare to disobey I’m going to cut your head off with your own teeth”.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was exactly at this moment that Black knew he was screw up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I summoned all of you” Cheren gave a look at the whole assembly, “because we need to speak of some issues Black have at school, especially as a sixteen years old person who spent the last two years in a stone and who is now in a school for twelve years old children.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, there is no problem at all, the classes are sup and all the other students are cool!” The Dreamer smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe you don’t have any problems but my five students who had spent the last training classes crying over my shoulder because you and your Pokémons beat them in less than five seconds for the umpteenth time sure have one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dear Mister Teacher, I am thankful for everything you are teaching our son” Bianca immediately protested, “but I’m sure our dear baby would have never done that, right honey?” Black nodded in approval. “It is only a mistake, Mister Teacher!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bianca, what the hell are you doing?” Cheren asked, interrupted in his complaints.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am only protecting our son! Don’t you agree with me, White?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean” the producer answered, “We don’t know for sure if what made those children cry and Black are related, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One of them had decided to change of school to become a Magikarp breeder because, I quote, “during our last fight the attack Black used had sent all my Patrats in the river and now I can’t find them anymore!””</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brav did just overestimated the strength of his move, really!” Black said. “It only happened once, it will never arrive again, I swear!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only once you said?” The corner of Cheren’s lips was ticking. “What about the time Tula knocked out half of the class with their Electro Ball?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We just need to work more on the aim!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about the time Costa nearly drown one of the students and sent him to the hospital?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This one is not even my fault!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two friends continued their verbal jousting, under the eyes of the three girls. Bianca had taken out off her notebook and was writing in it, although for everyone who took the time to look more closely to it, they would have seen only notes about Black’s Pokémons abilities, and all the data’s she could potentially get from it. White had since long dropped the smile she had when she came here, frowning deeper and deeper at every new exploit of his boyfriend. And Iris…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, Iris had taken a popcorn bucket from who knew where, maybe a parallel dimension, and had started eating it, sometimes congratulating her “older brother” for his achievements.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Iris, don’t you dare…” White started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But that’s too funny! It looks like those mangas Caitlin gave me! And in the end, the two of them will kiss, and then…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Iris. Just. Shut up” White started to feel afraid of her friend, out of a sudden.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, can you tell me more about those mangas?” Bianca asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure! You see, in them…” Iris started to explain what yaoi was to the blonde girl, and White silently swore. She had been too late to protect the innocent ears of her friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head and focused back on the exchange between her boyfriend and his… Friend? Teacher? What was their relationship now?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At some point, Cheren decided to give up on listing all the damages Black and his Pokémons had done and decided to switch of topics:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s speak of something else, would you? We also need to speak about your… compulsive reading of the library books.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, they’re really interesting!” Black scratched the back of his head. “There are all those explanations about the new Pokémons that appeared in Unova, or the other Champions from other regions! They’re really useful when I need to create new strategies! Why, is there any problem with that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In the past, I have heard of people that became friends with the librarian because they spent too much time in the library. However, I never heard of someone who spent so much time in it that the librarian thought it was okay to leave for a world tour because one of the students knew the library so well that she let them manage it. At least, I never heard of it before you, Black.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re speaking of Charlotte! How is she? She should be in Alola now, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the issue here, Black. She should be in the library doing her job, not letting you do it instead!’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Black” White sighed, “what are libraries again?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A place where people can lend books and read them, and also one where you have access to other media or cultural events!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you know what is left to you, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Putting fliers of the BW agency everywhere?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly! You finally learned how business work, Black!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cheren had to stop himself from slapping his head on the desk out of exasperation. Inspire. Expire. Burry all those murder plans. Repeat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the background, Iris had started to show some videos to Bianca on her phone. The teacher did not know if he should be relieved that the two of them were not stepping anymore in this reunion, or worried about the dangerous glint in the blonde girl's eyes. When he started this reunion, he was holding on the hope that it may resolve all the problems he currently had with Black, but instead, it only seemed to create even more issues.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why did he accept to become a teacher already?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Started from tomorrow, you are going to be ban from the library, Black. And from the chorus, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The chorus? Why?!” The concerned immediately protested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know… Maybe because you ruined all practices with your inability to regulate your voice?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I already lowered my voice!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your lowered voice is still twice louder than all the other combined! Do you know how many complaints I received about it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I admit it might bother the students a bit, but…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I received protests of the director, and his office is not even in the same building as the chorus practice room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is for sure an error!” White stepped in, with her typical ‘expert of musical practices speaking here’ expression on her face. “Have you check the insulation? Was it last week? It was really hot, if both the chorus and the director’s windows were open, it would not be surprising for him to hear it. And they are not in the same building, but maybe the two buildings are closer than you think!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“White… You…” Black said, a blush on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your voice is perfectly fine, there is no need to lower it at all!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cheren was speechless. The two of them had started to shamelessly flirt in front of his eyes. Was not White supposed to be used of serious reunion and to have professional behavior? Every time he had to deal with her for class trips in Pokéwood, she had been an example of professionalism. So why did it all disappear as soon that Black was involved?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Do not be wrong, he was glad to see his friend again after those two years of worrying, not knowing if he was alive or dead and where he was and how he was doing. Especially considering in which circumstances they had last seen each other. Yet, having him in his class, as one of his students, was something else entirely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had one card. One last card to play. One that may convince his four dumba… friends in front of him that Black seriously needed to calm down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the four in front of him were still in his own little world, he slowly, carefully took a paper out of his mallet and put it on the desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he waited until someone took the time to read it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At some point, he had taken his phone off to answer his mail. It was not serious for a teacher, but his friends were not serious in their role, so there was nobody to tell him anything. Finally, White took notice of it, and silent came in the room as she choked:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A bill of fifty thousand Pokédollars for Black?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, this time you really blew up” Iris was laughing, while Black seemed to try to disappear into his chair, a mission that was not successful at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just… Black, how?!” White’s eyes were going to the bill to Black to the bill again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… Wanted to do a cake?” The culprit scratched his cheek out of embarrassment. “You know, for our two years and two months relationship birthday? And it somehow got a little bit out of hand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A little bit out of hand?” Cheren repeated, trying his best to not scream. “Black, you exploded the whole chemistry room!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exploding is a big world…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then explain to me why the walls and the ceiling disappeared, and why did we found some of the desks in the field of our neighbor, at the opposite side of the school?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, so it was the Boom sound we heard the last day!” Bianca hit the palm of her hand with her fist, proud of her realization. “It was really huge!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And it also why there was a scent of burned berries all around for a week” Iris added. “So the Hero of Truth who saved the whole region finally has a flaw, he can’t cook to save his own life, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That… I just asked Bo for help, okay?” Black was laughing, but not his typical one, a nervous and high-pitched laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still, Black…” Cheren sighed. “Now, the school wants you to pay for this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll not!” White slapped the back of her boyfriend's head. “You don’t even have the money for it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. That’s a problem.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry… Cheren, would it be okay if the agency pays for it? In exchange, we will just put some “sponsored by the BW Agency” across the room, and it will end well for everybody! So what do you think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well…” Sure, they needed this money to build the classroom again, because it was clearly not the non-existent governmental help or the non-answering insurances that will resolve the problem, but still, was it okay to expose young children to such a sponsor?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect, if it works for you, just let me the time to call my lawyer! And don’t worry, at the end…” She stared at Black, who immediately lost a few centimeters. “It will be Black who is going to pay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teacher did not have the time to say anything before the producer left the room, calling someone on her Xtransceiver. Iris realized her bucket of popcorns was empty, so she decided to go to the teacher cafeteria to grab a new one. Since when did she know where the teacher heaven was, as well as their popcorns reserve? He had a bad feeling that Bianca was no stranger to that. The said blonde girl also followed the Champion, still asking about some weird mangas he did not even want to speak about.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the end, there was only him and Black left in the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cheren let out a long, long sigh as he put his head in his hands, deploring the turn this reunion… No, this whole schoolyear had taken.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Cheren!” Black’s head was inclined in a genuine interrogation. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“… I’m too old for this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, Cheren, you’re only four… No, sixteen!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teacher raised his head, looking at his childhood friend. At the eyes, mirrors of every one of his thoughts, at the mouth, open in an expression he had missed so much, at the face that was the one of a sixteen years old boy and not anymore the still round ad innocent one he had when he left Nuvema Town for his journey.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was incredible, how he had miss him. He had betrayed him, fought him, said all those horrible things, his mind full of false promise and blurred vision, to the point he had stop to look for what was really important. How much did he regret it, once he had lost it, once Black was stuck in the Light Stone! Those two years without him had been fill with guilt and regrets. And once he came back, the Dreamer had erased it with simple, genuine words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Precisely.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cheren was definitely too old for this.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Teachers should be paid more, notably Cheren.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Crimes Movies are Sad Except If Everyone is Dumb (Whi-Two, Lack-Two, Hugh)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It was a normal day for Whi-Two.<br/>A casting, a murder, two former classmates coming from nowhere...<br/>... Wait, what?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>After one week and half of procrastinating on posting it on AO3, here we go with my entry for the Unnova Week 2 for the Pokéspe Amino Festival. This was supposed to be serious at first... At first. It all went wrong after I add Lack-Two I guess.</p><p>Whi-Two and Lack-Two had always been characters I had a lot of fun writing, but adding Hugh on it? Writing him was way nicer than I expected.</p><p>Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“This is the story of our trio.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whi-two expired and made a little step on the left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is how everything started. How, from three different individuals, we became a trio feared by the criminals from the whole world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked all over the room, confidently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is how we met, became friends, and saved the world too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stopping exactly in the center, her eyes were showing only determination.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is our story. This is…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She raised both her arms and opened them, like if she was showing something way bigger than her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the story of the Teens Detectives!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cut!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The young girl immediately brought her arms upfront her, looking anxiously at the table facing her. She could feel the eyes on the three people behind scrutinizing her, getting everything from her with simple looks, making her feel naked. If Foongy had been here, she would have hugged him tightly to evacuate her nervousness, but the Pokémons outside of their Pokéballs were not allowed here, unfortunately. She could only fidget her short, hoping it would help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the wall in front of her, the word “Casting” was written on a huge banner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had ended her mission with N a few months ago now, and after this long trip across the whole region and even some others, she had found herself lying at her motherhouse. Team Plasma had been an important part of her life, she had grown with them for almost as long that she could remember. Now that the team had been disbanded and the stolen Pokémons reunited with their trainers, she did not know what to do with a long-gone team, an idol that, she realized during their trip, will never return her feelings, or even those two hands of her. Not doing anything of her days had been fine the first few weeks. But not having something to keep her busy or to even think about had left her even more exhausted than she had been during her journey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was at this moment that White came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had nearly forgotten about it, but the few films she had turned in before their journey had been quite successful, and enough spectators had been willing to see her again to not be ignored by producers. Her senior told her that her offer from back then was still going on, that if Whi-two accepted she could make her a star in Pokéwood. That she could become someone people will look at, and that she could become a model for them to, maybe, influence the world in a good way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Liberator had hesitated at first. She wanted to help people, and she could do it just fine by volunteering like her mother. Yet… Yet, if she could share her message, her values on a larger scale… And playing to be someone else was fun. She said to White that she would think about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The day after, she was signing her contract with the BW Agency.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now she was at a casting for a new movie, an adaption of a rather popular book. White could not be with her, as she had to go to a gala with Black in Kanto. But she told her that the staff working on it was rather famous and that the book was so popular that the movie would be for sure a success. If Whi-two could get one of the three lead roles, it would definitely be an important step in her carrier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In front of her, the director, named Lucberg if she was right, the casting director, the producer were all judging her performance now. She was glad of her play, and she knew she could not have done better. But would it be enough to get the role?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she was looking to the judges, she noticed things she had not to see at first. The casting director’s mouth was slightly open, her eyes half-closed. The producer was furiously writing in his notebook. The director Spielberg had not taken note yet, too busy scratching his red skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She frowned. This shade of red… It was not normal. She had seen it on some Pokémons before, while she was in Team Plasma. Rash. She detailed him longer. His lips, his neck, his hands, they were not that big when she entered the room, right? And she had not heard it before, but he was panting, every second louder, as if he had trouble breathing…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, not as if, he had trouble breathing!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mister, you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man fell on the ground, his char following him. His panting had transformed into ugly gurgling. His eyes got locked in hers, and she knew she would remember them her whole life. They were wide opened, full of terror and panic, and begging for help. He was asking her help but she could not move her legs refused to obey she could not move…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes eventually rolled in his orbits after what had seemed a long, too long time. The two other judges immediately kneeled on their colleague, checking him, and as if their voice was coming from far away she heard one of them yelling:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call an ambulance! He’s not breathing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whi-two was like a statue, witnessing the scene but unable to move, unable to help the dying man in front of her. So she did the only thing she could do in this situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She screamed.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Following the last… events, the casting is dis-dismissed for the day” The castor director was shaking. “You all ca-can go home if you wa-want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whi-two’s chest was tight, swallowing was hard. It had been like that since the incident, and it had worsened when she heard the man did not survive his trip to the hospital. She had been right in front of him but unable to help him, to save him. What if she had move? What if she had tried to give him the first aid? What if she had called the ambulance instead of letting the producer doing so? What if…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hugged Foongy tighter against her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had not even call White yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A bitter taste on her mouth, she was about to call her senior when she saw one of the other applicants looking discreetly around them before disappearing in a corridor. She frowned. This corridor was at the opposite direction of the exit, so why was she going there? Was she lost? Should she guide her to the exit?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She silently penetrated the corridor. It was dark, with no windows to lighten it, and she was all alone. Where was the other girl? She looked around her, and as she came fare inside, a door opened behind her, and something sharp, wet, was put against her neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t move, or you’ll regret it.” A high-pitched voice, somehow familiar, threatened her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the muscles of her body tense. She was not daring to look behind her. What would she find if she ever tried? A monster, a Pokémon, the other applicant, a murderer, a…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah. It’s only you. What are you doing here, Whi-two?” The voice lost their high-pitch tone, and whatever was put against her neck disappeared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She immediately turned back, her eyes wide open. The other applicant was just behind her, a Dewott on their side. She had only seen them from far before, but now that she was closer, the frilly dress or the curly wig could not wrong her. This sharp nose, those emotionless eyes, that voice… It could only be this person, this person she had not seen since their graduation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lack-two?” The words came out of her mouth without thinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No Lack-two. I told you last time that I would be wearing a different name next time, didn’t I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you are…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rachel, I’m Rachel” He gave her his hand, his nails perfectly polished, bracelets tickling on his wrist. “Nice to meet you again, Whi-two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to… See you again, I guess?” Her handshake was hesitant. “But… What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Investigating this murder, obviously.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This murder?” An old shiver crossed her spine. “What do you mean? He just ha-had an attack and fell and di-di...  Right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Director Spielberg, 63 years old, no major health issue, sudden death with no symptoms forehand. It does not sound like a natural death, especially considering that he was an intel for us in a drug traffic case.” His voice was monotonous, only constating the facts with a little bit of boredom. “You were with him when he died, right? How did it exactly happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He… became red, probably because of rash, and his body inflate… He had trouble breathing too, and then he just fell on the ground and stop to-to breath.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t be sure until he results of the autopsy, but it looks like an anaphylactic shock.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A severe allergic reaction that can, in some cases, cause the death” If he was annoyed by the question, he was not showing a sign of it. “It appears generally between 5 to 30 minutes after intravenous exposure to the allergen or two hours if swallow. It is usually caused either by allergy from anesthesia agents and opioids, bug sting, analgesic, derivatives of iodine, or other allergens as food or other medicine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was only water glasses on the table…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we need to investigate to know how exactly he got it in his system but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped and, not giving interest anymore to his former classmate, he put his ear against one door. Whi-two focused, in an attempt to know why the boy had stop and heard a squeaking. Something, someone was here just behind the door. Lack- No, Rachel put his index in front of his mouth and silently opened the door. And stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She came closer to see what had caught his attention. The room was full of vivid costumes, illuminate by a slightly opened window, and speaking of the window there was someone stuck in the opening. Someone she, or rather the both of them, knew pretty well. Someone who should in no way be here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hugh?” She asked, after a moment of silence. “What… What are you doing stuck in a window?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whi-two?!” He flustered, embarrassing by getting caught in such a situation. “It’s not what it looks like!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look like someone who was trying to break into private property,” Rachel said, and by his reaction, Hugh had not recognized him before he actually spoke. “Actually, I could ever arrest you right now on the spot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is a more urgent matter!” The boy screamed. “There going to be a murder here, we need to stop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We already know, the guy’s already dead” the officer sighed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, seriously?! Those bastards…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you tell us how you did know it” Rachel came closer from the window. “We will help you and not engage pursue against you. Deal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took Rachel, Whi-two, and Dewott to get Hugh out of the window. What was he even thinking, trying to break into a building by the window of the sixth floor? Once he was back on a solid floor, he did not even wait for the officer’s question to speak:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was doing some groceries yesterday when I saw two mens doing some shady business in an alley. They said that I quote, “It was unfortunate but we need to get rid of Lucberg before he steps too much inside our business”. One of them asked the other if they had the thing, who answered yes, and then the first one wondered if he was not going to be caught, and the other man answered that even if people suspected something, nobody will think that it’s them, especially since they have someone else to take the blame. At this moment they saw me, so I tried to attack them but they were quicker and used a Smokescreen move. When I could see again, they were already gone. I tried to come here this morning to try to find them but I somehow get lost and ended… stuck in the window.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not even able to take two men down?” Rachel said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! I had a gift for my sister’s birthday, I could not drop it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you say so… Anyway, could you see their face?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, they were wearing cowboys hat, it was hiding their face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So it was really a murder?” Whi-two shivered at the idea. It… How someone could…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“More likely, and we need to catch them quick before they flee. Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said we, but you weren't invited, you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you expect us to not do something?” Whi-two protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is no way I’m letting those bastard running away! You may not want it, but you are stuck with us now, Lack-two!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I already told you it’s Rachel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio found themselves in the building’s cafeteria. In this beautiful day of August, the sun rays were flooding the room. In front of them, the producer and the casting director were sat on one of the tables. The producer seemed lost, looking everywhere around him and playing with his pen, while the castor director wore an exhausted face, with surprisingly small pupils.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… Mr. Rosetta, Miss Ace, do you recall any suspicious events during or before the casting?” The officer gave his attention back to the two witnesses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it was all normal, he…” The producer, Mr. Rosetta’s voice, was shaking. “We ate like we usually did before casting and then we start the casting and when just after Miss Whi-Two performed he… He…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He… said…” The casting director, Miss Ace, spoke slowly, “that his glass of water our assistant brought had some grains in it. Mine did too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But my cup of ice tea was perfectly fine!” The producer added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some grains? Interesting…” Rachel noticed. “Did you know if he had any allergy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He once mentioned” She searched her words, her hand moving as trying to remind her, “that he made a bad reaction during a trip at the hospital for an operation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another question, did you know if Mr. Lucberg had any enemies?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not at all!” Mr. Rosetta immediately protested. “He was loved by everyone, we all liked to work with him! Well, he did sometimes argue with some of his staff, especially the costume designer, but it was only petty arguments! Why, do you think someone would kill him? Nobody would ever try!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you say so… Can you give me the name of this costume designer, Mr. Rosetta?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the surprised producer wondered why they would need this name, Whi-Two came closer to the casting director, Miss Ace, and asked:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay, miss? Do you need water or anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably” It took a few seconds for the women to acknowledge the young girl. “I’m really tired, I’m feeling like I’m going to fall asleep at any moment now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tired?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like… I’m just sleepy as hell? And it’s just so hard to focus on things...” She took a deep breath, and then slapped her cheeks. “C’mon Regina, it’s not a time to act like that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The time for Rachel to note what he needed, the Dexholder served her a glass of water. Not much, but anything could help, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sleeve was suddenly pulled by Hugh, who showed with a nod the officer. He was already leaving, letting them behind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them exchanged a look and followed him.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you bring me here?” Rachel heavily sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because we need to speak of all of it, and see which clues we have!” Hugh exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And so you thought a cafe, with a lot of people around, is the best place to do so? Plus, I already figured who the culprit is, I just need to arrest them now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously?!” Both Hugh and Whi-Two looked at him with round eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cafe was crowded, full of laughter and animation. Just a typical cafe in Castelia City. The trio of acquaintances-without-exactly-being-friends was sat on a little table, some beverages in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s amazing then!” Hugh drank his cup of mint tea in one shot, burning his tongue. “I just need to go do my private business, but as soon that I come back, we gonna stop them, okay! And don’t dare leave without me! Whi-Two, if Lack-Two tries to leave you have the authorization to use violence!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And on those words, the boy disappeared in the back of the cafe, heading to the toilets. A heavy, uncomfortable silence took place between the two Dexholders. Biting her lips in nervosity, Whi-Two took one swallow of her dark coffee cup before she asked:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, how did you found the culprit, Lack-Two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you, it’s Rachel” There was a little white mustache above his lips, remains of him drinking his strawberry milk glass. “And haven’t you find yourself yet? The clues are pretty obvious, once you put them together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe for you, but not for us! Could you just tell us what happened and who did that already, please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, fine... “ He closed his eyes. “The culprit is the costume designer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a minute, it was all silent. Whi-Two took another swallow of her coffee, her eyes not leaving the officer. The said boy, his eyes still closed, dipped his lips into his strawberry milk. The young girl put her cup back on the table. The boy opened his eyes and seemed to lost all interest for her as he looked outside. She then broke the silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then? How did it occur? What tell you that it’s them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really haven’t figure already?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rachel…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, fine…” He made a little nod, his curly wig following his movements. “The clue to understanding how he got in contact with the allergen and what it was is Miss Ace, the Casting Director.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She told you she was not feeling well, right?” This was not a question. “Very tired, and sleepy. And I don’t know if you noticed, but her pupils were constricted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s only a quick observation so we can’t be fully sure except if we do tests, but those symptoms match the absorption of opioids. This includes for example drugs use for anesthesia or painkillers such as morphine, that are common in hospital.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And he did make a bad reaction to some drugs during a hospital trip!” She exclaimed, recalling the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. It is more likely than he has a severe allergy to opioids that eventually caused his death. Plus, he was our intel in a drug business, so it was more likely than the culprit, who is without a doubt link to it, can easily get those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…” She pinched her chin. “So you’re saying that not only Mr. Lucberg but also Miss Ace, got opioids? But how did they got it, and why the two of them? Was Miss Ace also targeted?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was not targeted, but an unplanned consequence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The culprit needed to give those opioids to the victim, and there is not a lot of ways to do so. An injection with a syringe would have been too obvious, and the effects too quick for the culprit to flee away. So the only option left was to make them eat or drink it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The glasses of water…” Whi-Two muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly” Rachel confirmed with a nod. “Miss Ace mentioned some grains in it, so they probably put the inside of a capsule, or broke a pill in it. Both forms are pretty common for morphine for example.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So the person who brought the water put the drugs on the glass?” The Liberator frowned. “It was the assistant, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it was really the assistant, they could have put the opioid in only one glass instead of the two” the officer immediately countered her. “No, the culprit was probably not even in the same room, and if the assistant was not a part of the plan, they had no clue on who would get each glass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So they had to put it in both the glasses…” Her eyes blinked as a thought cross her mind. “And so, how do you know the culprit is the costume designer?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s simple” He smiled, and for a second she saw the Lack-two she met back then, with the flirtatious personality he had as a mask. “Only a person working in fashion would unironically wears a cowboy hat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whi-Two could only stare blankly at her former classmate, her eyes blinking and her mouth slightly open. He looked back at her, a slight smile on his lips, before he brought his glass to his lips. Some drops of strawberry milk escaped and, after crossing his skin, fell on the table. When he put the glass away, his milk mustache had become more prominent than ever. They glanced at each other again for a few seconds, before his smile became a bit larger as he said:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was joking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you don’t know if the costume designer is really the culprit!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s true that I technically don’t have any direct clues…” He began before she cut it short.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you have nothing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But once you put all the indirect clues together, it’s clear that it can only be them. For our investigation, we already knew the costume section had an important part in the traffic. Actually, we know for sure that they pass the drug in the seams of the costumes. And it was mentioned that Lucberg had some issue lately with the costume designer, so in the end they are the most suspicious person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We still can’t be sure…” She said, feeling uncomfortable. “Maybe they are innocent? We still need to investigate!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, don’t worry, we’re going to find if they are really the culprit or not pretty soon.” Rachel looked at his Xtransceiver, expanding the screen. “They have kidnapped Hugh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They what now?!” Whi-two stood up, both her hands slapping the table. “It’s true that he’s taking a lot of time to come back from the toilets but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I saw him, he left the café ten minutes or so ago. He seemed unconscious, so they probably used chloroform or a taser.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You let Hugh being kidnapped?! You know they saw his face!” The Liberator burst out, catching the attention of the other customers. “They may harm him, even kill him! How could you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I put a tracker on him, I know exactly where he is” Rachel sighed, still looking at the screen. “Should we go? They are heading to the port.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course we should go!” She took him by his dress’ sleeve end ran toward the exit. As she arrived in the street, she paused for a second and asked:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, you put a tracker on him?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. On you too, by the way. Should we go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On me too?! Wait, Lack-Two!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you it’s Rachel!”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whi-Two wanted to laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too bad they were currently hidden behind a wooden case, spying the kidnapper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She recognized the place, she had played in it before. A former warehouse on the port, now used by the cinema industry to film. If you watched movies carefully, you would have seen this warehouse in dozens of films from the last year only. And when there was no film to roll, there was nobody.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So the costume designer obviously has chosen this place to bring Hugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hated to admit it, but the costume designer was really the culprit. She had seen the woman, middle-aged with a common face, before. She even did some of her own costumes. And now here she was, with Hugh lying on the ground, unconscious, wearing the villain costume of some block-buster from twenty or so years ago, and preparing a huge aquarium, like the ones magicians used for their escape tricks. Except that Hugh was not a magician, so he would more likely die if throw inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She is really obsessed with appearances and cinema” Rachel muttered as he put one strand of his wig behind his ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you think so?” Acting experience had improved her way to speak, allowing her to answer with more confidence and even sarcastically, sometimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To act like that, she is not probably fully stable emotionally” he ignored her comment completely. “We need to be careful to get Hugh back” He seemed to think for a second before he rose his head: “Wait, Whi-Two, where is your Foongy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, right here, with your Dewott” she showed the two Pokémons with her hand. The two of them were standing on a footbridge, five meters or so above the culprit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what are they…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told them to do so. Don’t worry, I have a plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of a sudden, the two Pokémons jumped in the middle of the room, Dewott hitting his shells against each other. If N or a blonde girl from Viridian City had been here, they would have heard Foongy yelling “Let’s kick this dummies ass my dear servant” and Dewott answering back “Yes my Lord” but they were not here to listen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The costume designer turned back as soon that they landed, staring at the two newcomers. She was on her guard, her eyes analyzing both the Pokémons and the footbridge they came from, before glinting of recognition. Whi-two smiled. Her plan was working.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aim her with whatever gadget you have and be ready to shot as soon that I say “My precious partner”.” She muttered to the officer before coming out of her hiding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Whi-Two, you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too late. She was now out, the sun rays coming from some small windows above illuminating her. The costume designer saw her, of course she did, you should be blind to not notice her right now. Standing with all the experience and confidence she had from acting, she put her one of her buntails behind her shoulder before pointing her finger toward the culprit:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I, Foongus Girl, finally caught you, Costume Designer! I will now arrest you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how do you want to do so?” The woman had to pick Hugh from the ground and was now using him as a shield. “I have your dear lover in hostage, darling!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whi-two refrained a smile. One of the films she had turned in this warehouse had implied her in her Foongy Girl role and a hostage situation. In the movie, her civilian crush had been captured and taken hostage, and she had to free them. And of course, as she was the hero of an Unovan movie, she had been successful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The costume designer, as obsessed by movies that she seemed to be, could only recognize the scene and play along, in her twisted way of thinking. She was even pointing a taser against Hugh’s forehead, imitating the movie’s villain, Brycen. Despite how bad the situation looked like, it was laughable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Release him!” Whi-Two still knew her lines by heart. “If you ever touch him, you will never be free again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like if I care!” The costume designer laughed hysterically. “You took my whole life away from me, Foongus Girl, it is only right that I make you payback!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I only got you banned from the coffee shop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But their Frappuccino was what gave me life!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It does not matter anymore” The Dexholder exclaimed, “because if I can’t arrest you, they will! Go, my precious-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the movie, her partner came from behind Brycen and knocked him out with a fire extinguisher. So it would be only natural for the costume designer to expect it, and turn back to avoid it. Too bad for her, Whi-Two’s partner, Lack-Two or Rachel, was not behind the criminal but behind the hero and would from his position have a good shot window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least, it had been her plan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because, obviously, Hugh had to wake up at this moment, while Whi-Two was still mid-sentence. And he did not wake up peacefully, oh no. One second, his body was loose, with no energy, a doll between the arms of the kidnapper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next second, he was waking violently and giving an involuntary head-butt directly to the criminal face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A horrible “CRACK!” resonated in the room. The hold of the costume designer relaxed, to finally let free Hugh, who looked around him with stupefaction. From her position, Whi-Two could see her nose bleeding, without a doubt broken, and fractured teeth. Before going to prison, a trip to the hospital would be necessary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman made three erratic steps, let escaped a little maniac laugh from her lips, and fell flat on the ground, unconscious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a second, the warehouse was silent, nobody daring to speak. Eventually, Hugh made the first move:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… What did just happen?”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once again, it was silent between the three of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There had been a lot of silence that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whi-Two looked at her X-transceiver and sighed. The night had fallen several hours ago, while they were still interrogated about the case, and now they were done but the last train had been long since gone. Great, she had no way to come back home until the morning now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her only option seemed to stay in this uncomfortable corridor, sat on a chair between a grumpy Hugh and a Lack-Two or Rachel, or whatever name he will choose to wear now. And as a cruel reminder of how long this would be, the clock on the world was making a ridiculously loud ticking noise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This day had already been ridiculously long, was there any need to also have a long night?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of a sudden, Rachel spoke:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The drug traffic is now officially dismantled and all the culprits are arrested.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s supper!” Hugh exclaimed. “They’re not going to sell any more of their drugs! Farewell, illegal drugs, you are not going to be miss!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, they were trafficking Viagra and aphrodisiacs” The officer stated with a monotonous tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both Whi-Two and Hugh went buggy for a second before they both yelled:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what do you mean they were dealing Viagra and aphrodisiacs?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re telling me that I’ve been kidnapped for that?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, why? Is there any problem with it?” It was clear in his eyes that he did not understand their reaction. “You helped dismantling a drug traffick that got a man killed, you should be proud of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whi-two blinked. Did he just indirectly complement their work in this case? It seemed like it, anyway. A soft smile stretched on her lips. Even if it had been already more than a year since their graduation, he was still growing…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hugh sat back on his chair, a proud expression on his face:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s true that we did a good job in this case. We work pretty well together. We should do that more often.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not” Rachel immediately rejected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s actually a good idea!” A stranger's voice said from behind a door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The said door opened, to let see a man in a black suit, with black hair, black glasses, to summarize a man in black. Rachel immediately stood up, maintaining his frilly skirt with one hand as he greeted the newcomer:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chief.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good evening, Black N° 2.” Whi-Two frowned at this name. He had present itself with this codename in the past but there was no way this was his true name, right? “I heard you successfully dismantled this drug traffic, congratulation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, chief.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard you two friends had been determinant in this case, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They did, chief” Wait, he was not even denying that they were friends? That was new, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should work with them more often. Actually... “ The man looked at both Whi-Two and Hugh, evaluating them. “What would you think about working for us? You will be our special Teenager squad. Or Teens Detectives if you prefer!” He then gave a quick glance at his subordinate before adding “And you could help Agent Black N° 2 with some of his issues.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chief, I don’t think it’s necessary…” Rachel tried to protest, only to be shut out by Hugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kicking some criminals butts? That would be amazing, I’d love too, and I’m sure Whi-Two too! Right, Whi-Two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m not sure…” She tried to say before Foongus jumped from her arms and land on Dewott’s head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mushroom Pokémon stared at her and she knew that he had made the decision at her place. or maybe did he just like to boss Dewott around too much?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, I guess it can work?” She was still hesitant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amazing!” The man in black clapped in his hand. “We actually have a shady case about cheese traffick in Kalos, you’re going to take the first plane for Lumiose City tomorrow! See you three later!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chief then left, followed by Rachel who was trying to say him that no, it was not a viable idea. Hugh joined him, countering every one of his arguments with his own. Which were the less convincing, Whi-Two could not have told.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, when her X-transceiver rang, there was only her, Foongy, and Dewott left in the corridor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She picked up on autopilot, not even checking who was calling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whi-two, it’s me!” White's voice immediately resonated, her eyebrows frown in worry. “I heard of what happened, are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, how to say that…”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In the end, they formed that trio, but White negotiated with Lack-Two’s chief for it to be only part-time and only in Unova because she still has a contract with Whi-Two.</p><p>Should I do a sequel of those three dummies adventures? But would I ever have the time to do so? I still need to continue this Yorozuya Lack-chan AU too-</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Strength (Trevor, Malva's Delphox)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Delphox was strong. Malva was strong, too, but Malva's had lost, so Malva was weak.</p><p>Delphox had lost too, but she could not admit she was weak too.</p><p>No, she was strong.</p><p>It was the boy who was weak.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>Can't believe this text had been waiting for more than 3 weeks for me to do some final edits and post them argh-</p><p>Anyway, I'm still participating in this weekly event, and so have my entry for the Kalos Week! The theme was Leap of Faith, and as I always wanted to see the relationship between Malva's Delphox and Trevor after the end of XY, here we go! Hope you'll like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Delphox did not understand this boy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or rather, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been already two months since the Team Flare was defeated, two months since she lost against those Gym Leaders, and two months since she had lost trace of Malva. Was she in hiding, prisoner, dead, Delphox did not care because Malva had lost. She was strong, she was the one who taught her everything, but she had lost, so she was useless. That was what Malva always told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But was she any better? She had lost too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And now she was stuck with the boy. She remembered seeing him before getting caught in the explosion and inside the chest and with Malva. He was weak, could not even defend himself and her Pokéball against a weak explosion. She was weak too back then, but now she was strong, strong like Malva, and he was still weak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was not strong in battle. Hell, he even lost to some kids at the playground. He had not released her from her Pokébal, of course he did not, otherwise, she would have crushed them within seconds. Worst at all, he had laughed after his defeat. Defeat meant being weak, weak meant being useless, useless meant being alone, so how could he laugh of it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could he has defeat Team Flare when he was that weak?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could he have a job when he was useless?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could he have friends and people with him when he was weak and useless?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, the samples! I’m sorry, Professor Sycamore!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t apologize Trevor, it’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And here they were again. The boy had tripped because he was clumsy and weak, and the man had forgiven him like it was nothing. Being weak, clumsy, useless was not something that could be forgiven. So how could they just act like if he was not weak? Like if being weak was okay?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed in exasperation. This would be over one day, she repeated to herself. One day, someone strong, Malva maybe, someone else from the Team Flare or even a total stranger would raise and she would join them because they would be strong and she was strong too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had faith in that. Someone strong will raise and she will not have to follow that weak ginger-head boy anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just had to wait a little bit longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>oOo</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t understand!” Delphox let out her exasperation. “This boy… Argh, he’s going to drive me mad!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s so bad with Trevor anyway?” Furfrou peacefully laid on the café ground. “He’s a good boy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy had met with two of his friends in one of the numerous Lumiose City’s café. They had been released from their Pokéballs for the occasion. Every time the humans would see each other, Delphox found herself hanging out with the Furfrou she had met on the Route 10. The canine Pokémon was probably the closest thing of a friend she had. Not that they were really friends, acquaintance, at best.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she said that, Furfrou would always add that it was only her point of view and that one day, she will accept them as friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes, the boy’s Floette would also tag along. Something about becoming friends with her, or learn more about her, she had not really listened. Not that she cared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s weak!” She exclaimed with disdain. “He lost to goddamn children and he laughs of it! He’s not even trying to become stronger!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you speaking of the last time at the playground?” Floette intervened. “It was not that much of a defeat, you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They beat you!” Delphox stared at the fairy Pokémon, stunned. “How can you call it something else than a defeat!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm… I see what the problem here is.” The tiny Pokémon clapped her hands together. “You need to see this battle from another angle that a fight to see who is the stronger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another angle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me rephrase” Floette was flying in circles just in front of her eyes. “How did you become strong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“By training!” Delphox answered proudly, remembering her memories with Malva. “Malva taught me the best attacks and strategies, then made me repeat and repeat them until it became natural, and then I started to fight against real Pokémons under Malva’s order!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you learned by practice, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To become stronger, everybody needs to learn, do you follow me? And practice is the best for it” The Fairy Pokémon nodded. “Trevor agreed with this battle so the children could practice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But he lost anyway!” Delphox protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“On purpose. Children can be sensitive sometimes, giving them a victory can encourage them to keep trying and practice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s even worse!” She felt like she was about to explode at any moment, and Floette made a pout. “How can anyone </span>
  <em>
    <span>lose on purpose</span>
  </em>
  <span>?! How can anyone wish to be weak on purpose?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trevor is not weak!” The Fairy Pokémon came closer, tightly holding her flower. “He…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both of you, stop already!” Furfrou stepped in the argument. “You have two different points of view about strength, that’s okay, but there is no need to argue over it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t understand!” Delphox ignored the canine Pokémon. Strength was simple, to be strong you must beat everyone and be on the top and be around other strong people, you could not lose, when you lost you were weak and useless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was what Malva taught her. That was what she had followed and worked so hard for. That was what she had faith in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But… If she followed this definition, she was weak too. Malva was weak too. But it could not be possible, right? Malva was strong and she knew she was strong too. But how could she be strong if she did not follow her own definition of strength?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Strength could not be something else than that, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough!” Furfrou exclaimed, and at this moment she looked exactly like her trainer when she was upset. “Del’, we understand your vision of strength, but we don’t share it, and that’s our right. And I’m sure that one day, you will understand ours too. But there is no need to yell at each other for that, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Delphox turned her head. It was time to come back to the professor's laboratory anyway. For the rest of the day, she stayed in her Pokéball, not saying anything to Floette.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Understand their vision of strength, one day?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no way she will one day see this day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… Right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>oOo</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She finally saw that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not even that long after the café incident. It had roughly been a week, maybe? She was not exactly counting the days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had started as a normal day. At least, a normal day with the boy. They woke up, ate breakfast, grabbed two take-away coffees, always in the same café, and then went to the laboratory to work. And for the lunch, the boy would go on one of the little restaurants of the street and order a take-away, like every day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except that today was not the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy had been ordering his meal, a prawn sandwich, when a group of men, their face hide by some Psyduck’s and Swanna’s masks, bumped into the little restaurant. At their feet, some Houndour and Houndoom were growling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone’s, hands up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You!” The one who seemed to be the chief yelled at the cashier. “Gave us your cash register, now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The said cashier immediately obeyed, the miser of his wages not being worth enough to risk his life. Delphox looked at them through her Pokéball. The criminals’ Pokémons were scarier than strong. She was sure she could easily take all of them down by herself. But she will not because the boy will do nothing, because he was we-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked. Did… Did the boy really ask them to stop? She surely imagined it, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What have you said, kiddo?” One of the criminals spoke, extending the syllables in an attempt to be intimidating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you to stop is. Leave the restaurant already!” From her Pokéball, Delphox could see he was sweating and swallowing. What was he even thinking, this idiot?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think you can do, kiddo? You want to start a fight so badly?” The chief shook the cash in front of his eyes. “You think you can stop us? Too bad, we already have the money!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t let you do this!” The boy yelled as he threw one of his Pokéball. “Floette, take the cash register outside!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Fairy Pokémon immediately complied and, before anyone could react, took the stole machine from the criminal’s hand, and flew away. The criminals blinked once, twice, thrice, before the leader yelled:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Follow this stupid Pokémon and bring me this asshole of a kiddo!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bro, it’s already too late!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And it was, indeed. The time the criminals took to speak, the boy had spent it running away from the restaurant, following his partner. There were not a lot of people on the streets, the major part of them was busy eating, but there were still a few civilians around. Behind her, Delphox could hear some men running after them. This was not good. The boy will never be able to handle all of them, not if he did not release her from her Pokéball first! So why was he still running?! Why did not he let her out of her Pokéball by now?! They were going to catch him!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of a sudden, the boy ran in an alley, one of those little alleys the daylight hardly reached. He looked around him, and Delphox wanted to scream. Lumiose’s alleys were a true maze and knew for a fact the boy did not know how to navigate in those. And she could hear their pursuers getting closer and closer. He was never going to make it out, he was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Delphox, do you think you can stop them?” He suddenly asked, raising her Pokéball in front of his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blinked, before yelping and knocking the walls of her Pokéball. Of course, she was! Why didn’t he ask earlier?!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Found ya!” One of the thieves was finally behind them. “You’d better give this cash register back if you don’t want to die, kiddo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Delphox, go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fight that followed was not even worth mentioning. It was not one of those exciting battles she had when she was on Malva’s side. It was not even on the level of her first mock battles where her opponents were so weak, she would crush them easily. No, those criminals and their Pokémons were lacking both on the physical side that on the willpower one, and the battle was over in a few seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned back, looking at the boy while she growled, failing to understand:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you not release me earlier!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy did not answer, of course he did not, he could not understand what she was saying. But Floette could, and the Fairy Pokémon simply smiled before answering:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haven’t you realized yet? He waited for nobody to be around. To avoid collateral damages, you see?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Fox Pokémon stared at her fellow Pokémon blankly, her mouth wide open. He ran here to be alone against those criminals? So nobody could get hurt in the process? This was ridiculous! He could have gotten injured or worse if he had not been quicker! How could he think of the others before his own safety in this situation? This was stupid! This was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Being strong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this moment, she realized. Thinking of the others first in such a situation, following his morals even when he was in danger… It was different from how Malva’s acted, but in the end, he was also strong. Even in danger, he had followed what he think was right. And this was being strong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was hard for her to believe but this boy… No, Trevor, was also </span>
  <em>
    <span>strong</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She inspired. To be honest, she did not care about what his morals were. She had no cared for Malva’s one, what would she care for Trevor? She had never been interested in those big fights between the good and the evil and everything around it. No, what she wanted back when she was prisoner of her Pokéball and inside the chest, was someone strong, someone to have faith in, someone to follow to not be alone anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted someone strong to be with, to be her light, and she wanted to be as strong as them so she could keep following them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had thought she had found this light with Malva. But maybe her vision of strength was not fully right, or incomplete. Maybe being strong meant crushing her enemies but also taking care and help the one who could not be that strong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Otherwise, how could Trevor be also strong?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night, while sleeping on her Pokéball, she smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was okay to stay with Trevor for now. It was okay to follow this little ginger-head boy who looked weak but was strong when you took the time to look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was okay to have faith in him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Treasure (Negativespe! Sun, Moon)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sun always liked helping at the soup kitchen, seeing the smile and laughs of everybody around him, but the lunch breaks were always the best moment.</p><p>Too bad that this girl decided to ruin this one.</p><p>Negativespe! AU</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello guys!</p><p>I nearly caught up with my OS post delay, there is only one left after this one! And so here we go for what had been my entry for the Alola Week on the Pokéspe Amino Festival!</p><p>When I was trying to find an outline for this OS, the Specord was also brainstorming on a Negativespe AU where basically everything is reverse or in negative and my brain said "brrrr Negativespe Alola OS brrrrr" and so, after procrastinating on editing and posting it for more than 2 days, here we go!</p><p>I tried to explain my take on Moon and Sun personalities and role in this AU in the OS, but if you have more questions don't hesitate to ask!</p><p>Also, I found a way to screenshot the whole convo where we were brainstorming this AU on Specord so if you are interested to see them, you can contact me!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You look like you need a second, boy!” Sun smiled as he plunged the ladle in the pot. “C’mon, give me your plate!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can, really?!” The large eyes of the young boy reflected only amazement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, sure! Take this and go to your mom, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, mister!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The child ran away, his plate full of mashed potatoes. Sun let his lips curve into a smile as he wiped his forehead. For someone like him who rarely had to do physical work, finding himself at the soup kitchen, with the heat from the gas cooker making the air around him too hot and nearly unbreathable, was not an easy task. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the smiles of those children and their family made it all worth the effort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay, Sun?” Next to him, Faba, wearing his trademark colorful Alolan shirt, asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, yes, I’m fine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look a bit tired…” Lusamine put a warm hand on his shoulder. “It’s pretty calm now, the next families will not arrive before a while, you should use this time to take a break and eat something!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” He could not help but ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, we are!” Faba slapped his back, before giving him a plate with the same mashed potatoes he had served before. “Go to eat, we’ll manage the rest!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, you two!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a grateful smile to the two volunteers, Sun took his plate and headed to a corner of the room, whistling an old song from Kanto. From his seat, he could admire the whole room and all the soup kitchen beneficiaries who came to eat here. His chest felt warm as a group of children ran near him, playing tag. As he witnessed the results of his actions, he could not feel prouder and more at peace. There was definitely nothing better than helping other people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was about to take his first bit when he froze, as a mocking voice came from behind him:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? But who do I see eating all alone? Don’t tell me you don’t have any friends, sunshine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grimaced and put his fork back in his plate. Looked like his moment of peace was going to be abruptly cut short. His sigh was long, already exhausted by what was about to come, gritting his teeths and trying to look elsewhere, but he asked nonetheless:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want, Moon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Acting all suspicious already!”She sat in front of him, her elbow on the table and her head on her hand, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Can’t I genuinely worry for my pooooor friend who is eating all alone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are not friend Moon”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! I thought we were! Ah, it’s making me so sad!” He rolled his eyes as she put her hand on her heart, her eyes wide open in shock. She was a good actor, He had to give that to her. “You know, it really makes me sad to see you eat here all alone when you could go to some fancy gastronomical restaurant who serves whatever is the last food trend with all your money!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you implying that there is a problem with what we are serving here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m sure that the biggest fortune of Alola is not worth this… thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mashed potatoes Moon, and it’s way better than any plate from a three stars restaurant” Sun pinched his nose. “But if you dislike the food from here that much, why don’t you go somewhere else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t, I put all my money on my ticket for Alola” She shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You what?” he choked. “Didn’t you say that you were from the Berlitz Family?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep, but I ran away, one year ago or so? I already spent all the money I took when I left you, so broke Moon!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ran away?” He blinked for a second, before realizing it was not that much of a surprise coming from the reckless adventurer girl he had the displeasure to meet a few weeks ago. “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I had this really fun adventure when I was young with my two bodyguards and my big sis, and I wanted to go on an adventure again after” her hands were moving alongside her speech. “But my father was afraid I’d become a tour guide like my sis so he kept me inside the manor to “study and become a brilliant scientist” like him. But studying is boring as hell, you see? I can’t stand a library or a lab anymore ‘cause of that!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, remembering all the economic books he had to read after he inherited his grandfather’s fortune. Studying could be terribly annoying instead. She noticed his silent approval and grinned as she kept explaining:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So one night, I just took one bag of clothes, stole some cash, and bought the first ticket for Kanto.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kanto? You did not come to Alola first?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, Alola is only the fifth region I visited? I don’t like staying in a place for a long time, if I don’t move I don’t feel good!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have time to ever discover the regions like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have enough time to go on adventures! Did I ever tell you about the Ruins of Alph? I got lost inside and Dude they had some freaking cool death traps ideas back in the fifth century! There was one with living </span>
  <em>
    <span>haniwas</span>
  </em>
  <span>* who could use swords, this one was super neat!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She continued to speak about other traps, and though Sun felt cold shivers crossing his spine with only imagining them, he could see that she was passionate about adventuring, risking her life in old ruins or temple and discovering new treasures. Going on adventures, exploring old temples or jungles, discovering long lost treasure was clearly what she was born off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, a girl who knew how to disarm a whole pirate crew with a comb was kind of scary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking of adventures… He had an expedition to organize and maybe it will interest her. This forced lunch conversation would maybe be worth it at the end, because having someone that experimented in his team would be only beneficial for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, speaking of adventures, Faba and Lusamine wanted to give some gift to the kids and for that, they need a treasure lost in the Ruins of Life, and I was about to send some men to get it, but would it interest you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He immediately swallowed as the girl’s eyes stared at him with a dangerous glint. Why was he suddenly sweating?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, but only if you come with me!” She answered, slapping his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, I’m not really into that kind of stuff…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had not the time to continue, as she took his wrist and ran to the exit:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, let’s go!”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… We’re totally lost, aren’t we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re lost, we’re lost, immediately you use your big words! We’re not lost, we’re just looking for the treasure! It’s what make the fun of adventuring!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sun sighed. He should have never followed the girl on this one. Because right now he was supposed to be at an investment meeting and not here, lost in some random humid cavern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wanted to go home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Silent adventures are not fun!” Moon exclaimed. “Hey Sun, tell me how you got all your money!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I told you how I ran away! So now” He hardly refrained a gasp when he saw her smile. “You are going to tell me everything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? Did I touch a sensitive spot? Does it tinkle you so hard that you want to cry? Poor baby sunshine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Geez, you’re so annoying…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, it’s one of my main qualities! So now, tell me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is not a lot to say, honestly” Sun sighed. “My grandfather owned several companies and was the biggest Alolan landlord, and when he died as his only direct family I inherited all his fortune.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So your money just fell from the sky? You don’t look like that but you’re a pretty lucky guy, sunshine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me I’m lucky, a lot of people hate me because of my grandfather” The boy scratched his cheek. “He left quite a bad impression on Alola, and now that he’s gone people turn on me to express all their resentment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… That’s why you’re doing all those charity things?” She asked, for the first time genuinely. “To get rid of your grandfather’s reputation?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Among other stuff. I never went along well with him, and never supported how he treated people, so now that I have his fortune what’s better than using it for everything he despised? And I can help people that way, and make them realize I’m not like him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does it work?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sucks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rich heir life sucks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After this conversation, none of them felt the need to add anything. Yet, for the first time since his grandfather died, Sun felt like someone was understanding him. They had both navigate on the elite side of the world for years and had both came out disgusted by it. Moon had decided to run away and live her own life, he had chosen to undo his grandfather’s heritage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They may hardly support each other or not have the same priorities or goals, but in the end, they were more similar than they would have first thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, the corridor ended and they arrived in a large room. Right in the middle, a parchment was throning on a pedestal. Moon immediately turned to Sun, an offended expression on her face:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me we made all this way for a parchment?! Where is my gold?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No gold here, but something as precious…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled at her, thinking of how the children of the charity would be happy with this present.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the recipe of the Legendary Plus Ultra Malasadas!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>* I did some research to try to see if the Ruin of Alph were based on real ruins (mainly because I was already reading about the Yayoi, Kofun periods and the Yamato), and according to Bulbapedia, there are several archeological sites that can match with the Ruins of Alph, with nearly all of them being kofuns. Which is cool, because I have this Japanese history book who speaks a lot of kofuns! Kofuns are megalithic tombs or tumulis that even gave its name to the historical period where we find the major part of them (middle of the 3rd century - middle of the 6th century) even if kofuns were still built more than a century after this period, as it really depended on the region. As Asuka Village, the place that matches the more with the localization of the Ruins of Alph, and in general the Nara prefecture where is Asuka Village, were a huge political center around the second half of the Kofun period, you find a lot of kofuns in the area. And haniwas are terracotta clay figures that you find in a lot of kofuns, though they tended to disappear in the latest ones.<br/>Did I really spend 2 hours doing  research for that while editing? Yes. Did I only use it in one sentence? Yes. Please help me.<br/>Also last time I checked, there was no living haniwas using swords in kofuns, this is of course an invention of my part.</p><p>Anyway, I hope you liked it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Pumpkin Hot Chocolate (Crystal, and Johtrio and Hoenn DHs)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which a shop owner is an a$$hole, and Crystal hears them.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone!</p><p>I should be editing and posting a short OS about Schilly I made 2 months ago, but instead of that, I upload this non-edited short drabble born from some convo on Specord because meh, why not?</p><p>Anyway, Crystal is the cell brain out of everyone, and it's exactly why you shouldn't piss her off.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You dumb Lickitung! Stop drooling on the products!”</p><p>“Yip!” The Pokémon yelped.</p><p>“You can dream to have your dinner tonight! And if you keep going on, you’re gonna sleep on the garden, with the collar!”</p><p>            Crystal’s blood went cold, her legs tensing, ready to act. What did the shop owner just say? Was he harshly punishing their Pokémon for something they could not help? For something that was one of their basic biological functions?</p><p>            She could not allow that. She could not allow that. She could not.</p><p>            Her eyes, narrowed, went on the five child- fellow Holders she was looking after for this shopping trip. She clicked her fingers, and they all turned back to look at her. Good.</p><p>“Guys, I think the shop owner should take an indefinite leave in Sinnoh. If you can gently convince him for me, the Pumpkins Hot Chocolate will be my treat.”</p><p>“Understood, Crystal!”</p><p>            Sadistic smiles had appeared all over their faces, and if her lips did not curl, the dangerous glint in her eyes was showing nothing else than a cruel satisfaction.</p><p>            The bell rang as she closed the shop door. Immediately, she took her Pokégear, and went through her contact until she reached “Doogle Map Shop Referencing Intern”. It did not take more than thirty seconds to send a message with the address of the shop, followed by “Definitely close”.</p><p>            Inside, a scream resonated, and the voice did not belong to one of her friends.</p><p>            She hummed a lullaby as she went toward the closer Starduck. She had some Pumpkin Hot Chocolates to buy.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. The Hunt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Marvin is too tired to deal with what's going on</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I read the names Viz gave to Soudo and Schilly, and instead of reviewing for my finals I wrote this snippet.</p><p>I regret absolutely nothing.</p><p>SPOILER for Soudo's and Schilly's name in Viz localization.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The beat had been released, and they were now out.</p><p>Out for blood.</p><p>Out for lives.</p><p>Out for the hunt.</p><p>Marvin stared at the ripped paper that replaced what had once been a tree. He could still see part of the tree on the two paper parts, but between them, there was only a dark void, with a small lighted path.</p><p>The fourth wall had been officially destroyed.</p><p>The boy heard steps behind him, but he did not even bother to look, his look trapped by the void. Finally, the person stopped, and Hop’s voice reached his ears:</p><p>“Hey, Marvin! What’s up? Did you see Schilly? And… What the heck is that thing?! Why is there a human side ripped paper here? And what’s this void?!”</p><p>“This, as you said, is the fourth wall. Schilly’s there, with Soudo.”</p><p>“Oh, so that’s what the fourth wall looks like! But… Why did they go to the world there? I heard it’s a super dangerous place!”</p><p>“We got the news, for the English localization, you know?”</p><p>“Ah, the thing we received earlier?”</p><p>“Yeah. Schilly and Soudo decided to go after the translator, they even took the rusted Sword and Shield with them.”</p><p>“The rusted Sword and Shield… But we still don’t know where they are at this point of the story! How did they manage to take them and break the fourth wall? And why? I mean, it’s just a localization, right?”</p><p>“You still haven’t heard of it, didn’t you?”</p><p>“Heard of what?”</p><p>“With the localization, they also have to translate the names. We were both protected, our names had already been translated by the video game team, but Schilly and Sou were not in that case. And when their name came out, they did not react really well.”</p><p>“What, what name did they give to be that bad?”</p><p>Marvin finally turned back to look at Hop, his tired eyes showing a too old soul for his body, and as to accentuate the tragic revelation, Bede’s hysterical laugh came from nowhere. From the sound of it, the Psychic specialized challenger was probably miles away, but his laughers were too high, not that Marvin could blame him. He sighed. He was too young for this shit.</p><p>“Henry and Casey. They called them Henry and Casey.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The Child of the Outdoor (Schilly)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Schilly always loved outdoors. It was joy, fun and great memories.<br/>It was her Pokémons, too.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, uuh, remember last summer when I posted a lot of stuff during summer because of the Pokéspe Amino Festival? How I did an OS about every region? Except for Galar?<br/>... Okay, I just totally forgot to post it on AO3 and realized it only as I was doing a fic masterpost on Tumblr. So yeah, have this short OS about Schilly, that was written like, beginning of September last year? And that I'm absolutely not going to re-edit now because I'm that kind of moron.<br/>... Actually, there's like A TON of shit (drabbles, or even chapters of multi-chap fics) that I was too lazy to post and had been waiting in my files for months, so expect some updates anytime soon.<br/>(Also please notice this OS happens before the canon. And that it was wrote in September 2020 so the canon may have contradict me since then)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Schilly loved the outdoor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had always needed to be busy, to have something to do with her hand and her brain. When she was young, at home, after she was done with all her homework and chores, she would not sit in front of the TV watching the last Champion’s battle like her comrades would. No, she was reading science books not her age, sneaking to play on her father’s computer until he had enough to scold her every time and gave her free access, taking some defective machines to try to repair them at first, then try to create her own gadgets, with only her imagination as a limit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once she was playing with an old toaster, and when she had put it on the table, it had exploded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was young, too young to interpret the whistling in her ears by something else than funny. Her parents had brought her to the hospital, of course. The voices of the doctors were muffled, hard to hear, and she had never fully understood what had happened, just that when she came back home, the sounds that made her home had disappeared, or became distant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>During this period, she had sighed a lot. To hear correctly, she had to focus, hard, and often it was not worth the effort. Without all those stimuli to catch her attention, without the sound of joy and sadness and life, everything seemed duller, and little Schilly could not understand what it meant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was also during this period that she started to speak louder, unconsciously at first. When her mom made her notice it, she realized that yes, she was speaking louder, and hearing her voice among the cotton cloud that covered her ears was something magical, enchanted. So she continued to speak louder and louder, to still hear her voice, to say that yes, “Schilly is here!”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She never dropped this habit, even when she got some hearing ears to help her. The charm of hearing her voice more than anything else was still effective, even after all this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But when she had not those little machines to put in her ears, when everything was dull and cottony, there was nothing better than going out. The mansion was too silicious, always the same walls and wallpaper, odors she could not even notice anymore as she was used to them, the furniture’s texture not moving from one inch, even the bread, and eggs of her favorite breakfast… All those little details were ended suffocating her, and as the days passed, she was feeling emptier and emptier every day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So when one day, she went out of her house and felt the wind on her face, the scents of the leaves and the dirt and the water, the wide horizons, colorful with always something new to catch, to see, she could not help but smile and laugh and run around. At this moment, it did not matter if the sounds around her were distant, or if she could not understand her own father sometimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the sky took an orange tone and that she had to come back home, her heart seemed heavy, and the next morning, immediately after taking her breakfast she left for the nearest park.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her parents noticed, of course, they did, they were her parents after all. She had not seen at this time, how her mom would always let stay her a little bit longer outside, or her father showing her how all her homework and science book applied in nature. But she had definitely recognized both of them organizing outdoor expedition every once in a while, then once a month, then every week because they had become addicted to the beauty of the outdoor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All those trips had changed her life forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had met all her Pokémons during them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While playing on the grass of the Lake of Outrage, she had tripped on Giga. Her father had told her it was rare to meet a Falinks in the area, and that this meeting had to mean something. When she came home that day, she was holding the precious Pokéball with her new friend near her heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tera appeared in the middle of a tempest. Their expedition had turn short, and they had rushed into the car to come back in Postwick. She was looking through the window when she saw the little Toxel, smiling and dancing under the rain, and she had begged her parents to let her join him. She had ended up sick and in bed for days, and with a friend who did not leave her side even after she recovered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kilo had bit her calf while she was fishing on the Motostoke Riverbank. His capture had been accidental, Tera throwing a Pokéball in the hope the fish Pokémon would let go of the young girl, and when she tried to release him, he kept biting her. In the end, with some Trainer’s lesson from her mother, he calmed down and she decided to keep him for good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did not however feel on Mega’s trap. The Stunfisk had been waiting for people to walk on them to close their jaw, and she put an end for good to this joke. Turned out the lonely Pokémon only wanted someone to care for them, and she was more than happy to give them all the attention they needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were at Giant Seat when she met Peta, and it was at this moment that she decided to become a Dynamax expert. She followed a group of trainers into a power spot, and she was, at everyone’s stupefaction, the one to defeat and catch him. Never before had she seen Dynamax outside of League matches on TV, and she was fascinated by how the Pokémons could become that tall, that strong, and she was still a curious, too curious child who read science books not her age and who wanted to know and understand everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was fully involved in her goal and would never stop, no matter what. She studied more than anybody else, created programs and machines to help her understand how Dynamax works, she read everything about Wishing Stars and Dynamax Band. She learned how Chairman Rose from Macro Cosmos popularized it, and how all of this had been possible only with the research of professor Magnolia.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To be a Dynamax expert, she needed to be around the best. In the scientific field, Professor Magnolia was the best. From then, it was not hard to conclude that she had to become the professor’s assistant. This was a necessity if she wanted to know one day what Dynamax was exactly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her Pokémons, the precious friends she had met, helped her, went with her on all her trips to learn more, always more. They became stronger too, learning to be perfectly in sync with their trainer and their fellow partners, and Tera even evolved in a Toxtricity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so when one day, while studying in her garden, she saw the Wishing Stars falling, she did not think twice. This may be the chance of her life, she had to take it. When she reached the entrance of the Slumbering Wield, she could not help but remember the warnings of the elders, that the forest was dangerous, and monsters were hiding on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the strange boy’s Pokémon headed straight into the fog, and he wanted to follow them and asked her help, and she used it as an excuse to shut any worries she could have.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What she should be scared of, anyway? The Wild Area was reputed dangerous, yet it was where she met her dearest friends. She was a child from the outdoor, she knew more about it than more people, she knew its beauty and dangers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew that no matter what they will face, they will always be fine.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes, indeed, what should she be scared of, uh?</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you like my work, and want more info on the fics/doodles of them, you can always check my tumblr, <a href="https://liya4kar.tumblr.com">Liya4Kar</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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